Chenopodium Foliosum Red Strawberry Spinach Flower
RED STRAWBERRY SPINACH
The small flowers of the red Chenopodium foliosum or ‘strawberry spinach’ are packed closely in the leaf axils. After flowering, the tepals of each of the minuscule fruits swell up. Together, they form a false fruit containing numerous seeds. The false fruits are edible, but not really tasty to us. Birds eat and disseminate them.
Chenopodium foliosum originally grew in southern Europe, as well as in North Africa and adjoining parts of Asia. The plant likes warmth, calcium, and nutrients. It was not native to The Netherlands, but was planted in gardens because of its edible leaves, which are cooked like spinach. From such gardens, the plant established itself here and there in the countryside, but is found mainly in the calcareous sand dunes along the Dutch coast. The ground there warms up rapidly and the winters are less severe than they are further inland.
Chenopodium foliosum is very easy to grow as an ornamental plant. Sow directly outdoors from the end of March. It takes three to four months for the false fruits to develop, but the process can be brought forward by sowing indoors earlier in the year.
It is a suitable plant for ornamental kitchen gardens, natural borders, and containers. The plant grows about 16 in tall but may become quite bushy.
Chenopodium foliosum ‘Strawberry Sticks’ is the cultivar that is usually available. The species Chenopodium capitatum is very similar.
