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Tetragonia tetragonioides - (Pall.)Kuntze.

Common Name New Zealand Spinach
Family Aizoaceae
USDA hardiness 8-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Coastal sand dunes and stony beaches on North South and Stewart Islands of New Zealand[44]. Sheltered beaches, salt marshes and arid plains in Australia[193].
Range Australia to New Zealand.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Half Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Tetragonia tetragonioides New Zealand Spinach


Tetragonia tetragonioides New Zealand Spinach

 

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Summary

Tetragonia tetragonioides. This plant was included in the database with an incorrect spelling (Tetragonia tetragonoides)


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Tetragonia tetragonioides is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from August to October, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

T. expansa. Murray. Tetragonia tetragonoides

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Shoots
Edible Uses:

Leaves - raw or cooked. A spinach substitute[183], the shoot tips are harvested when about 8cm long, this encourages plenty of side growth with lots more shoots to harvest[264]. A delicious substitute for spinach, the very young leaves and shoots can also be eaten raw in salads[193, 264]. The young leaves are best, older leaves developing an acrid taste.

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Easily grown in the garden[193], it prefers a light soil in a sunny position[16, 37] and thrives in dry soils[33]. It grows best in a good rich soil[1]. Once established, the plants tolerate drought[200]. Plants are very tolerant of hot, dry conditions but cannot tolerate frost[200]. Although very drought tolerant, the plants produce a better quality crop if they are given some water in dry weather[264]. New Zealand spinach is occasionally cultivated in gardens for its edible leaves, it is an excellent spinach substitute for hot dry weather conditions[183]. A perennial plant in its native habitat, but it is usually killed by the cold in British winters and so is grown as an annual[264]. In the Tropics it is occasionally cultivated in the cool season as a spinach[264].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Propagation

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frost[33]. Seed can also be sown in situ in late spring, though this will not generally make such good plants[33, K]. The seed can be slow to germinate, soaking in warm water for 24 hours prior to sowing may help[33, 200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Native to eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It has been introduced and is an invasive species in many parts of Africa, Europe, North America, and South America.

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

An invasive species in many parts of Africa, Europe, North America, and South America.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Tetragonia implexicomaBower SpinachPerennial0.5 -  LMHSNM00 

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

(Pall.)Kuntze.

Botanical References

44200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

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Subject : Tetragonia tetragonioides  
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