Chenopodium viride
| Chenopodium viride | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Chenopodium viride
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know how well it will grow in Britain, but it should succeed as a spring sown annual. According to some botanists, this species is no more than a synonym for C. album[1]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[2][3]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[3].
Range: Europe.
Habitat: Weed infested places[4].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked. A spinach substitute[4][5]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity.
Seed - cooked. Ground into a powder, mixed with wheat or other cereals and used in making bread etc[4][5]. 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[6].
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
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References
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.