Blitum capitatum / Strawberry spinach

Description

Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Chenopodium
Species: capitatum
Strawberry Sticks, Strawberry Spinach, Strawberry Blite

OP Heirloom

An old-fashioned plant for multiple uses, combining a leafy green with fruit-bearing stalks in one crop, making a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Enjoy the young leaves raw in salads and later enjoy the sweet delights of ripe shiny red mulberry-like fruits. Young leaves are tender with a mild spinach flavor, becoming bolder as they mature. The original seeds for this particular variety were found in a monastery garden in Europe.

Plants quickly germinate and grow, best started directly outdoors when the temperature exceeds + 18°C. The soil surface must be smooth and damp—not wet, plant to a depth that’s equal to twice the seed’s width, and germinate for 10-20 days. Keep the soil moist with a fine mist until germination. Strawberry spinach prefers rich, well-drained soil. Grow in full sun, it tolerates shade.