I’d like to introduce you to a plant that is a hard-working staple in my food garden, but was a complete stranger to me a dozen years ago. Commonly known as New Zealand spinach, this plant has so much more to offer than our fast-bolting spring spinach that it’s the only “spinach” I grow these days.
The taxonomic name is Tetragonia tetragonioides. That’s a bit of a mouthful. On the other hand, I find I always have to stop and think about geography before I can say New Zealand spinach so I’ve taken to calling it tetragonia. More fun to say and easier to remember.
What I Like About Tetragonia
Tetragonia enjoys summer and fall weather, so it will produce long after regular spinach has become a distant memory. It provides a plentiful supply to use fresh as well as to freeze for winter use. The leaves are dark green, thick and luscious. In the garden the plant is bushy, low-growing, and spreading, but is easily controlled with regular picking. Given a chance, it will cascade, so it can look beautiful in a hanging basket. The more you pinch it back, the thicker and bushier it will become.
In my experience, tetragonia does not seem to be bothered by any garden pests. No leaf miner damage. No slug attacks. Bonus points for this vegetable.
Once tetragonia gets established for the season, you’ll have a continuous harvest. The plant won’t stop growing until the cold weather kills it. Regular picking will keep it looking great. As with basil, it’s best to harvest by pinching out the growing sprigs just above a node. Don’t pick leaves only – the plant will get scraggly, plus the older leaves are much less tender. Let those big leaves continue to process sunlight, and eat the new growth instead.
Eating Tetragonia
These tender sprigs cook up beautifully. I would not eat them raw, but as a cooked green, the texture and flavour are excellent.
Rinse well, chop if you prefer, then stir into a pot of boiling water. Reduce the heat and cook for three to five minutes, then drain well. Serve immediately or use in any recipe that calls for spinach. To freeze the cooked tetragonia, rinse with cold water, then bag it or flash freeze on a tray and bag it afterwards.
New Zealand spinach has lower amounts of oxalates than spinach, but both are considered high oxalate vegetables. As I get older and start to have stiff, achy fingers, I’m more aware of the oxalate content in my food. The good news is that cooking in water rinses away some of the oxalic acid to protect my health while still providing me with the important vitamins and minerals of leafy greens.
Growing Tetragonia
Once you’ve grown your first New Zealand spinach, you can save the seeds for following years. Leave some of the small yellow flowers to mature, then harvest and dry the seeds. Put them in an envelope and label with the name and year grown. One more step towards food sufficiency.
You also can let the plant go to seed in the garden, but I find that in my area those volunteer plants usually don’t show up until the tail end of summer, so it is better to grow seedlings indoors, then transplant around the same time as your tomatoes. In fact, tetragonia and tomatoes make very good companion plants. Just be sure to leave enough spacing for each plant to grow to its full size.
A few years ago, I gave my mother some tetragonia seed to try out on her north-west facing balcony. She’s had great success growing and eating it. Now it’s one of her must-have container vegetables – we always have a little celebration when she tells me she’s picking some of her spinach for dinner.
If you’re looking for a reliable and prolific addition to your vegetable garden, why not give tetragonia try?
New Zealand spinach and alysum make a lovely hanging basket. This one is growing in only a few hours of afternoon sun.
