Chenopodium giganteum
| Chenopodium giganteum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 8' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Chenopodium giganteum (common name: tree spinach)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1][2]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[2].
This species is closely related to C. album[3].
The tree spinach is sometimes cultivated for its edible leaves[4], there are some named varieties[5]. 'Magentaspreen' is a vigorous plant growing 1.5 metres tall. It has large leaves, the new growth is a brilliant magenta colour. Tastiest when young, the leaves are eaten raw or cooked like spinach[5].
A warm climate is required in order to ripen the seed[4].
Range: E. Asia - N. India. Naturalized in S. France[3].
Habitat: Weed infested places[4].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[6][7][8][9]. Of excellent quality, they are a spinach substitute[4]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity.
Seed - cooked. Ground into a powder and used with wheat or other cereals in making bread etc. The seed is small and fiddly, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.
Usage: Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[10].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and mos
Also Known As: C. amaranticolor. Coste.&Reyn.
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.