Also known as white salsify, goatsbeard, vegetable oyster, and the oyster plant, this uncommon root vegetable has a long tapering root and edible leaves. The cooked root is said to resemble the flavor of oysters. Salsify is planted from seed in the early spring and harvested after the first hard freeze in the fall. Culture is a bit like parsnips. Adequate moisture and fertility during the growing season is necessary if high quality roots are to be produced.