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Gardening in Oz

plant id - no pic - italian spinach

20 years ago

ok went the the markets at the ponds in gympie near the gold mine musuem, this asian lady was selling fresh stuff she had warrigal greens/nz spinach but then she had what she called italian spinach looks like same growing style as nz spinach similar leaf shape same harvesting technique, and size also except leaf is crisp and glossy sort of and stem is harder unlike nz spinach with matt fleshy sort of leaves and soft stems.

i stuck a couple of cuttings int a pot to early for any determination but reckon they will grow.

anyway does anyone have any idea what the botanical name of the plant is i did a search and came up with spinach recipes with the italian name attached you know like eggs benadict.

tia

len

mail len

lens garden page

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Comments (8)

Jennie60
20 years ago
Our local Woolies was selling something I think they called Italian Spinach, or similar, some months back. I bought a bunch and rather liked it. However the leaves weren't glossy, anything but, and very dark. I suspect it wasn't in its first youth either, the leaves felt rather rubbery. We guessed how to cook it, steam for a short time, and it was rather nice.

Good luck in your quest.
gardenlen
Original Author
20 years ago
g'day jennie,

been doing a bit of digging around came up with the following name looks close (Spinacia oleracea), but whatever it is it looks like one of those plants not well recorded and could have lots of common names maybe?

len
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User
20 years ago
Len, I think Spinacia oleracea is the common 'English' spinach. Why don't you try posting on the Cornucopia forum. There is a wealth of knowledge over there.
Cheers,
Dee.
solanum1
20 years ago
It could be what is also called Southern European Spinach, a small variety of Silver Beet. Eden is offering seeds in their catalogue. Quite tasty but, to my taste, nothing beats "English spinach"...
Rose-Marie
gardenlen
Original Author
20 years ago
g'day rose-marie,

does that grow in the form like a vine? i will check the eden site/book later.

ta

len
Raymondo
20 years ago
It's not basella, is it?
lomatia
20 years ago
Len, I am growing a variety of 'Italian Spinach' - bought the seed from an Italian deli. Bigger and lusher than English form but probably the same species. I would imagine it might be hard to grow in hotter climates than Melbourne?
{{gwi:2115399}}
gardenlen
Original Author
20 years ago
thanks lomatia,

looks a bit similar but reckon not the same this one is apparently growing quiet well in our hot humid conditions up here.

raymondo, not basella i don't think did a search looks like basella got fleshy type stem/vine, this one very firm thin stem to the woody side might be best way to describe it, also glossy mid-green leaf colour though colour may be infuenced by growing medium/management.

this plant is the closest - Spinacia oleracea

ta

len

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