Oh, that's Orach. It comes in purple shades, magenta shades, yellow/chartreuse shades, as well as plain green. You can winter-sow the seeds, they'll come up very early the next spring. I don't know if the plant will overwinter in northern areas, I'm sure it could be fall-sown to overwinter in milder climates like California. It is similar to spinach in just about every way, except it gets to be about 5 to 6 feet tall, and the harvest lasts longer. It tastes like spinach. I use it both raw in salads and cooked. I also plant a lot of it for my flower gardens as an ornamental because it's so pretty, but I have had problems with animals eating it (woodchucks, deer, and rabbits). I love orach, wouldn't want to go without it. It's more reliable than regular spinach.

I am growing Malabar spinach - I think I am in zone 7b - North Dallas. I bought one plant - divided it into 2 and have seen it grow and grow. As soon as I pluck leaves for my salad, it grows new branches and shoots. It is prolific. I am growing it in a self watering container that is a gallon in size. It loves my trellis and it tolerates the full Texas sun. Yesterday, I took another piece off to sprout for another container in a shadier place as an experiment. I am interested in seeing if it will be a hardier grower with less sun - since the full sun seems to stunt many of my plants from flowering etc. Right now, I am eating a wonderful red vine malabar salad - with raisins, fresh basil, and walnuts in a red berry dressing. Oh yum!

I tried googling shrub Malabar spinach. Perhaps what you are looking for is Molluca spinach- Gynura crepiodes- article at http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/91737/ I'm growing- *"Molokhiya (or Melokhiya) is a vegetable native to Egypt, very popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. It has also become very popular in Japan and Southeastern Asia. It has been reported that this vegetable contains calcium, carotine, minerals, vitamin A, B1 and B2. Molokhiya is a very nutritious and healthy vegetable. Plants love warm conditions and grow well under full sun from spring to fall. Young green leaves and shoots of this fast growing vegetable are picked for cooking use. They add flavor and viscous texture to soups and stews similar to that Okra does in the cooking. Plants can also harvested and dried for later use in winter." I got seeds at http://www.evergreenseeds.com/melokhiya.html I just ate a leaf, it has a pleasant taste and is rather mucilaginous when eaten raw or cooked and eaten. I'm not sure how big they will get, mine are small in pots at present. *Quinoa, which has an edible leaf, I just sowed it outdoors so can't report yet. *Amaranth in the past, don't recall the taste much, I mostly grew it for seeds. There are varieties for greens and also for seeds. Here is a link that might be useful: Molluca spinach, other exotic veg

Oops, just had to delete a post about New Zealand Spinach seeds which I belatedly realized is not what you were asking about. I've not grown Malabar Spinach but did find some info in my go-to seed saving book, Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. Here's some info from the book, "..one of the messiest plants for seed savers. Each fully ripe seed is encased in a black fruit that is firmly attached to the branch of the plant....In long season climates, some of the fruits will dry around the seeds. These can be harvested without any further cleaning.....very important that the seed be thoroughly dry,...or mold can form." "In most areas of the US, the purplish black fruits must be picked individually....then placed in a metal strainer...partially submerged in a bowl of soapy water. When rubbed against the sides of the strainer, the fruits disintegrate, exposing the seeds...RInse the seeds in clear water and...dry the seeds on a glass or ceramic plate...never dried in direct sun or in an oven. Stir...to ensure even drying...seeds will turn light tan when completely dry." "Seed production begins at about 100 days but viability is low at that time. A frost-free season of 150 days or more is recommended for quality seed production." Perhaps early harvest is a factor in germination issues you have experienced. It is a good reason to leave yours on the plant longer rather than shorter periods of time. "Locations in full sun will produce the strongest plants, which should be thinned to 12-18 inches apart for adequate growth prior to seed set." Sounds like greater plant strength helps seed production and viability. "Seeds germinate best at temperature of 80 degrees F. and above. Germination is poor below 75 degrees F. Germination is variable , but usually occurs in 10-12 days." Perhaps low soil temps are giving you low and possibly slow germination. I'd need to use a heat mat with covered seed trays to get this to germinate in my house in the spring. Hope this info gives you some ideas for successful growing next year. After reading about all of this, I'm surprised that my daughter had volunteer Malabar Spinach plants show up in a community garden plot in Pennsylvania in an area with a short growing season, very cold winters, and cool springs. I guess it was an unusual year or she was just lucky :)