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padma_2009

Shrub Malabar Spinach

padma_2009
14 years ago

Has anyone heard of Shrub Malabar Spinach. I have the Malabar Spinach Vine or climber. I am interested in the Shrub variety. If anyone knows of a link or source from where I can get it, it would be of great help.

The difference between the two:

Shrub Malabar Spinach: Grows 3-4 feet in height. The stem and leaves are thick and slightly fleshy and are edible. Can be eaten the same way as spinach ( cooked or raw). The leaves are glossy and 1"-1 1/2" wide and 3-4" long. Can be grown from stem cuttings or seeds. It bears beautiful magenta colored small flowers which fruit into purple fruits which stain when crushed.

Vine Malabar Spinach: Grows 10-20 feet and needs a trellis to climb.The stems and leaves are thick and fleshy and are edible. Eaten the same way as spinach. The leaves are glossy and 3-4" wide and more of a heart shape. Can be grown from stem cuttings or seeds. It bears beautiful magenta colored small flowers which fruit into purple fruits which stain when crushed. There is another variety in the malabar vine which has the characteristics but has a red stem.

Padma

Comments (2)

  • hemnancy
    14 years ago

    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

  • padma_2009
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hi hemnancy,

    Thank you for the the information. I will look up and see if Molluca spinach is the same as what I am looking for.

    Padma

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