Did you know?

     Recently I came across a question in a food blog that asked, "Can you use celery seed to grow celery?"  At first hearing that sounds as simple to answer as "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?"

     But the answer might surprise you.  Contrary to popular belief celery seed will not grow the familiar bright green stalks that you see in the produce section of the grocery store.  Celery seed spice is actually harvested from a closely related plant, wild celery, sometimes called smallage.  It is a member of the large family of plants that include dill, coriander, fennel and parsnip, in addition to more familiar members like carrot and parsley.  Smallage requires a long growing season and above average moisture and thus does not do well in the average backyard garden.  And the plant itself is bitter and inedible with hollow stems.  The leaves are sometimes used as a bitter herb to flavor soups and stews.  But they are valuable for the seeds they produce.



     Celery seeds have been a part of the medicinal arsenal for thousands of years and are still considered helpful in treating water retention, arthritis, gout, and muscle spasms.  It can also reduce inflammation and help treat hypertension.  Some even say it is an effective mosquito repellent!

   So the answer to the first question stated above is "No, celery seed will not grow celery."

     And the answer to the second question about Grant's Tomb...Technically no one is buried there.  In the mausoleum located on Riverside Drive in New York City the remains of the 18th President and his wife, Julia, are entombed in adjoining sarcophagi above ground in an atrium, not buried beneath the floor.  You can see that for yourself any day but Monday or Tuesday at the site maintained by the National Park Service.