Malabar Spinach - a heat tolerant Summer green

Malabar Spinach - A heat tolerant Summer Green ( Basella alba)

Yes... there is a summer green you can grow in the Low Desert !!

 

Red Stemmed Malabar Spinach

Malabar Spinach is a heat tolerant summer green.
It is not really a spinach but actually a type of semi-succulent vine, but the good thing is it grows really well in our Arizona summer.
There are 2 kinds - the more popular red stemmed, as well as a green stemmed variety.

 

Red Stemmed Malabar Spinach - note how the stems are vining up the sunflower stalk.

Cultivation:
It is native to Asia, the plant having thick, succulent heart-shaped leaves and white flowers. The red stemmed cultivar "rubra" has thick reddish purple leaf veins and stems and thus is considered to be more ornamental. As the season progresses the flowers give way to purplish-black berry looking fruit.

Once the temperatures reach above 90 degrees F, it really starts to ramp up its growing habit, often growing 10-12' tall. So, make sure you have a strong trellis or support for it to grow up.
It seems to grow well in our alkali soils, though like most vegetables it prefers a fairly fertile, well drained soil. Watering schedule is the same as for most summer vegetables.  

 

Growth Habit

It is easily started from seed, but can be purchased as a transplant from some local nurseries.  Seeds should be plantted in May. It can also be grown from stem cuttings.
It will continue to grow until killed by the first freeze.

Reasons to grow Malabar Spinach:

1. It is fast growing and because it vines, with careful planning it can grow over a trellis and provide shade for some of the less sun tolerant summer fruiting vegetables, such as peppers. I like to let it grow up the sunflowers in my garden, even when they die, the tall stalks provide good support for the vining spinach.

 

Malabar Spinach Vining up Sunflower In July

2. It provides some green interest in the summer garden - some thing that is not easily come by in our hot desert !
3. It can be eaten raw in salads. It has a slight lemon, peppery taste.
4. It can be cooked just like regular spinach.
5. It is rich in Vitamin A, C, Calcium and Iron as well as being a good source of soluble fiber.
6. It seems to be resistant to most pests and diseases.

A Word of Caution !
Malabar spinach does self sow quite aggressively and has been considered a bit of a pest weed by some Arizona gardeners. In other words, once you have Malabar Spinach in your garden, you are likely to have some popping up every year afterwards.
It is easy to pull out, however, so that is a gardener's personal choice as to whether they wish to grow this plant or not.
I do grow it in my garden every year, selectively removing all those plants that are in the wrong place and allowing the "chosen few" to continue growing, even if just to provide that wonderful shade.
The choice is yours.