Tree Spinach
Chenopodium giganteum
7cm Pot
Tender annual
Description - This fun plant will brighten any salad. It grows tall and bushy with masses of sparkling magenta shoots which are edible. The shoots must be picked young if eating raw in salad, older shoots and leaves can be wilted in some butter for a side dish or wilted in cooking as regular spinach would be.
Growing conditions - Tree spinach will grow in most soils as long as it's not waterlogged, it is also best to grow it in soil that has not been recently fed with manure or high nitrogen feed. May benefit from some shelter on windy sites. Pinch out the centre shoot to make it more bushy and therefore more productive.
Height - If grown under cover it can reach heights of up to 3m tall, or 1-2m outdoors.
Spread - 90cm
Benefits to wildlife - Birds enjoy the seeds in winter if the plant is left uncut.