Interesting Facts, Nutritional Value and Plant Information of Celery
This post is also available in:
This post is also available in:
Deutsch (German) 
हिन्दी (Hindi) 
Ελληνικά (Greek)
Nutritional value and Plant information
- Celery is classified in the Apiaceae family, the same as parsley, carrots and turnips
- Celery is naturally a biennial plant, but farmers grow it as an annual.
- Its scientific name is Apium graveolens.
- Celery is native to Mediterranean areas and the Middle East.
- Celery is cultivated for its leaves, stalks, and root (hypocotyl).
- The plant was cultivated for edible use from the 1600s onwards. Before that, its use was medical.
- During ancient times, Greeks and Romans used Celery as a flavoring
- All parts of the plant are edible.
- It can be used for oil production.
- Spain and the USA are the largest celery producers globally.
- The most grown variety of Celery is Pascal.
- You can plant 32,400-54,300 celery plants per acre or 80,000-134,000 per hectare.
- The word Celery derives from the Greek celinon (σέλινον).
- The plant can grow 4 feet or 120 cm tall.
Nutritional value of Celery
For thousands of years, Celery has been used by Ancient Greeks and Romans as a seasoning. Chinese used Celery mainly as medicine. Nowadays, Celery leaves are used widely by almost all countries around the Mediterranean but also in American and Asian cuisine. In Europe, they prefer to use the plant’s roots as vegetables for soup preparation, while Americans mainly use the stalks as an appetizer.
Whether raw or cooked, Celery has become a very popular vegetable, especially a low-calorie choice, with great benefits for human health. Despite the large water concentration of raw Celery (95%), it is rich in vitamins like A, C (15% of the recommended daily intake), K (up to 30% of DI), and K, as well as antioxidants and flavonoids.
More specifically, a serving of Celery (1 cup of chopped Celery, approximately 110 grams/3.9 oz) contains:
- Calories: 14-15
- Protein: Less than 1 g
- Fat: 0-1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3-4 g
- Fiber: 1.6-2 g
- Sugar: 1-2 g
- Vitamin K: 30 mg
- Calcium: 40 mg
- Potassium: 263 mg
- Sodium: 81 mg
Celery seed contains about 2 to 3 percent essential oil (17-18% fatty oil), the main components of which are d-limonene and selinene. Additionally, it is a good fiber, folate, and potassium source. Thanks to each superior nutritional profile, Celery can contribute to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease prevention, blood pressure control, diabetes prevention, and management. However, in rare cases, celery can trigger a severe allergic reaction in some people.
Celery Plant information
Celery is a hardy biennial, herbaceous, cool-weather plant native to Mediterranean areas and the Middle East. Celery belongs to the Apium genus, and it is a member of the Apiaceae family. The scientific name of the plant is Apium graveolens.
The plant can grow up to 120 cm or 4 feet and consists of a big hypocotyl from which emerge long fibrous stalks (edible). The roots are succulent with many branches-ramifications. The leaves of the plant are wide pinnate (7-18 cm or 3-7 inches in length) with small leaflets. During the second year, the plant enters its reproductive phase. It forms a rosette of tripinnate leaves with many leaflets. The small white flowers grow in the umbels. Despite Celery’s biennial nature, in most cases, it is commercially cultivated as an annual. Most commercially grown celery varieties need 85-140 days to complete their life cycle (from seed to harvest). The cultivation usually starts by sowing the seeds in the greenhouse and transplanting the young plants into the ground 1-1.5 months later, depending on the environmental conditions of the area (temperature, etc). For early or late markets, celery can be grown in tunnel houses.
There are three main Celery commercial types:
- Apium graveolens var graveolens (Celery). This is the most common type in America. It produces big stalks, which are used mainly in salads. The leaves of this variety are bitter and are not easily consumed.
- Apium graveolens var rapaceum (Celeriac). This type is popular in Europe and is grown for its root, which is used as a vegetable.
- Apium graveolens var secalinum (Leaf Celery). This Celery is popular in Asia. It produces thin stalks and rich foliage which can be consumed raw and cooked.
Celery is a cool-season crop and grows well in temperate climates, with sufficient rainfall and ample sunlight. A mature plant can tolerate slightly lower temperatures; however, under 6 °C (50 °F), there is an increased risk for earlier initiation of bolting. Flowering is initiated when the plants are exposed for 10-15 hours to 2-4 °C (35.6-39 °F). Under too low temperatures, close to -3, -5°C (26.6-23°F), the plant can be totally destroyed. However, some varieties can tolerate lower or higher temperatures under specific growing conditions. For successful germination, celery seeds need to be exposed to a temperature above 5 °C (41 °F), with the optimum to be between 15 and 21 °C (59-70°F) (above 16 is required for seedlings grown for transplants). In later stages, the plants have optimum growth when the temperature ranges between 12 and 16 °C (54-61 °F). On the contrary, high temperatures can be destructive. Finally, warm and dry weather during seed filling is considered ideal.
References
- https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/school-nutrition/pdf/fact-sheet-celery.pdf
- https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/celery
- https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/horti_vegetables_celery.html
- http://nhb.gov.in/model-project-reports/Horticulture%20Crops/Celery/Celery1.htm
- https://www.uky.edu/ccd/sites/www.uky.edu.ccd/files/celery.pdf
- https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/files/agrifoods-plants-pdf-celery.pdf
Further reading
Interesting Facts, Nutritional Value and Plant Information of Celery
How to Grow Celery in a Pot in your garden
Growing Celery for Profit – Commercial Celery Farming
Celery Soil preparation, Soil requirements, and Seeding requirements
Celery Water Requirements – How to irrigate Celery
Celery Fertilizer Requirements
