In my Mediterranean garden spinach grows very well over winter and into spring but the summer is way too hot for it. Tetragonia tetragonioides or New Zealand spinach is the perfect “summer spinach”.
It is a plant from the Aizoaceae or “ice plant” family (mesembryanthemum, delosperma & Co.). Unlike others of this family it is not a native of South Africa but of eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. And it is not cultivated for its decorative properties but as a vegetable. Tetragonia has been introduced in many parts of Africa, Europe, and the Americas. It grows naturally in sandy and even saline soil but will gladly accept any good gardening soil.
Its trailing stems will form a relatively thick carpet on the ground. The leaves are thick and look like they are covered with tiny ice crystals. The small yellow flowers produce small hard fruit and horned seeds.
Tetragonia thrives in hot weather and doesn’t need much water to survive. it isn’t bothered by insects, slugs or snails and it is very frost hardy.
New Zealand Spinach can be grown as an annual or perennial. It is eaten like spinach, cooked or raw, and it also contains oxalates just like spinach.
Sowing instructions say that the seeds need to be soaked in water for a day but since it freely self-seeds I don’t bother with soaking and they grow just finde.
I keep pincing or cutting leaves and shoots off the plant as long as they’re young and before the flowers and fruit form. I will cut it back next time in late summer to see whether it grows back and I can harvest in the fall and winter as well.
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