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Strawberry Spinach - Chenopodium capitatum

Blitum capitatum
Eye-hurt, Strawberry blite, Strawberry spinach, Indian paint, Indian strawberry

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More information

An unusual annual vegetable plant. From June to October, it bears fruit in the form of glomerules resembling raspberries (rather than strawberries). The edible leaves have a hazelnut flavour, and the edible fruits have a taste similar to that of beetroot. Plant in spring in partial shade, in rich, well-drained soil that remains slightly moist.
Ease of cultivation
Beginner
Height at maturity
60 cm
Spread at maturity
30 cm
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Moist soil
Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time March to May
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Flowering time July to September
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Harvest time June to October
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Description

Blitum capitatum, also known as strawberry spinach or strawberry blite, is a forgotten vegetable that is unique and decorative. It is a variety of goosefoot with sagittate and dentate leaves, whose shiny and magenta-coloured fruiting resembles that of a raspberry rather than a strawberry. It occurs from June to October and is arranged in clusters of 3 to 5 in the axils of the leaves. Both the leaves and the juicy fruits are edible. The leaves have a nutty flavour and can be prepared like spinach. The fruits taste of slightly acidic beets rather than strawberries. However, care should be taken not to consume large quantities of leaves and fruits, as they contain a high amount of saponin and oxalic acid.

 

Strawberry spinach forms a 30 to 60cm (12 to 24in) bush in one year, resembling a small holly with its red berries from late spring to mid-autumn, proving once again that the vegetable garden can be both aesthetic and nourishing. You can plant this unique annual from March to May to enjoy its leaves and fruits from spring to autumn. After that, it will self-seed spontaneously if a few berries remain on the vegetation. It is an undemanding plant that can also be grown in pots.

This is a unique and tasty vegetable herb that can be used in a thousand ways. Eat the leaves in spring salads, in mixed greens, in Japanese tempura, quickly cooked in a wok, or even in savoury tarts with small pieces of goat's cheese or salmon. The fruits enhance sweet salads.

Strawberry spinach is native to Asia. It is easy to grow and adapts to all types of slightly moist soils in non-burning sun. Both the leaves and the fruits are edible, so you can use this vegetable almost all year round. It appreciates consistent, moist, and rich soils, especially those high in nitrogen and potassium.

Harvest: the leaves and fruits can be harvested according to their growth and your needs.

Storage: the leaves do not keep well in a refrigerator as they tend to become soft. It is best to consume them a few hours after harvesting. However, you can freeze them after blanching them for 3 minutes in salted boiling water. As for the fruits, you can let them dry in a dry and ventilated place. They can be used to enhance a fruit salad or release their fragrance in potpourri.

Gardener's tip: strawberry spinach thrives among rows of chicory and lettuce, which reciprocate the favour.

 

Harvest

Harvest time June to October
Type of vegetable Fruit vegetable
Vegetable colour red
Size of vegetable Small
Interest Flavour, Nutritional value, Colour, Productive
Flavour Sour
Use Table, Jam, Patisserie, Cooking

Plant habit

Height at maturity 60 cm
Spread at maturity 30 cm
Growth rate very fast

Foliage

Foliage persistence Annual
Foliage colour medium green
Product reference175851

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Planting and care

Cultivation

Strawberry spinach is a fairly demanding vegetable, especially in terms of nitrogen and potash. It requires well-fertilised and well-drained soil that does not dry out throughout the growing period. Avoid excessively hot exposures. It is advisable to apply fully-decomposed compost in autumn (about 3kg per m²) to loosened soil, raking it in to a depth of 5cm (2in). An application of nitrogen fertiliser such as "blood and bone" is often welcome. 

Some spinach varieties are quite susceptible to mildew, a fungal disease that occurs in mild and humid weather. Be careful not to sow too densely to aid good airflow. Crop rotation remains the best prevention.

As for companion planting, spinach is a good neighbour that does not harm any other vegetable. In fact, it is known to benefit from being grown alongside cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes, as it enhances their yields. Gertrude Franck, an exceptional gardener, used to interplant a row of spinach between each row of vegetables, which served both as a culinary ingredient and green manure.

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Cultivation

Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time March to May

Care

Soil moisture Wet
Disease resistance Good

Intended location

Type of use Container, Vegetable garden
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Soil Well-drained.
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Any
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), 130

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