Caucasian Spinach

On Jun 1, 2016, Pussywillowpres from (Zone 4a) wrote:

Great for edible landscaping: hardy perennial, ornamental, mild-flavored, & edible all season--just a little fussy about location/competition

Last winter I planted Hablitzia seed in moist seed starting medium in small pots & refrigerated them for a month to stratify. Germination was good, but I'm glad I tried several different places when transplanting outside. The seeds are like dust & the seedlings are very fragile. They don't seem to take competition well. The ones that survived are against the east side of the house, in full morning sun/afternoon shade, with relatively low moisture (under the roof overhang). I did have to weave them into their trellis--otherwise they tend to sprawl.

I harvested leaves (which are also ornamental) lightly all season f... read moreor fresh eating (I use them in green smoothies) & they stayed tender & mild-flavored (including during & after flowering). They basically taste "green"--no bitterness at all. They would be a good filler in salads, if I ate salads...

I tried propagating it by cuttings, but only one of the 4-5 cuttings I put in soil developed roots.

The two most vigorous plants got ~4-5' high, flowered & set seed, which I left on the plant.

This spring those two plants were among the first signs of life in March, coming up with 6-12 robust shoots each. I tried the shoots, but the flavor was too strong for my taste (but I don't care for asparagus either). Now in early June, the plants are a wall of decorative food well over 5' high & I'm harvesting leaves every few days.

I found several self-sown seedlings at the base of the original plants. I potted one to give away & it didn't skip a beat.