Semi-sweet orbs with gem-like tones of purple, red and yellow, the beet is a versatile root vegetable that can gin up any salad, Buddha bowl or fresh juice. Spring is the perfect time to plant beets, which will be prime for picking in just two months from seeding.

The name “beet” comes from the Celtic word for “red,” but modern cultivars span the rainbow of colors. Golden beets, in particular, present a beautiful sunny shade of yellow. This variation has been planted since the 1940s but available since the 1800s, though few planted it because the red beet was the preferred color. Golden beets are well liked for their sweet, mild taste.

Beets are semi-hardy, meaning they can withstand a light frost. In California, they tend to weather the winter conditions underground. Beet seed is actually categorized as a fruit or seed ball with several embryos.

The spherical root vegetable is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean. When early civilizations first used beets, it was primarily for the stems and leaves. The Greeks called the leaves teutlon because the leaves resembled tentacles. The Romans were the first to cultivate the plant for its root and also used the beet medicinally, as well as in cooking.

Today, three basic varieties of the plant are grown for different uses: hard beets are grown specifically for their leaves; other beets are grown for their bulbous root, with edible leaves (with varieties in white, yellow and red roots); and sugar beets are produced for making sugar from the long, thick root. The first sugar beets contained only about 6 percent sugar but manipulation of the plant over the years has led to a 20 percent sugar content, which is used to make white sugar.

Beets contain a significant amount of vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, protein and carbohydrates. Beets are also high in folate, dietary fiber and antioxidants. The greatest amount of nutrients is gained when beets are consumed raw. They’re a popular addition to salads with goat cheese and walnuts, which make for a rich, sweet and savory meal. Often beets are juiced for a fresh, healthy drink. And they can be roasted and enjoyed in a bowl alongside other roasted root veggies and a steamy grain. They are famous as pickles and in the Eastern European soup called borscht.

The vibrant hues that make beets so enticing in salads can prove disastrous for clothing that gets stained while peeling and cutting the juicy globe. But for some, that’s less of a problem and more of an art form. Beets have long been used as a natural dye for clothing and linens. Thus, this is truly a transitional ingredient — worthy as both food and fashion.