Horned Tetragon in plant - Tetragonia tetragonioides (expansa)

It is a vigorous plant that resembles spinach while offering a unique iodine flavor. Horned Sea Purslane has the characteristic of being heat-tolerant as long as the soil remains slightly moist. Under good growing conditions, it is possible to harvest around 3 kg of leaves per square meter in one season.

New Zealand Spinach is not, from a botanical point of view, actual spinach, but rather a distinct species. It is an annual plant that belongs to the Aizoaceae family, a group that usually includes plants that are highly resistant to drought. It gets its name, Horned Sea Purslane, from the shape of its seeds, which have four sides.

Commonly grown in traditional vegetable gardens, Horned Sea Purslane seems to be making a comeback in recent years because, in terms of flavor, it is far from being a pale imitation of spinach: it is similar, but its leaves are more fleshy and have a very interesting hint of iodine. Many chefs have been incorporating it into their menus in recent years.

In the kitchen, Horned Sea Purslane is prepared and consumed like spinach, either raw or cooked, in salads, steamed, or quickly sautéed in a pan. It is a vegetable rich in vitamin C and minerals.

This plant develops quite rapidly to form an spread-out tuft that can reach up to 60 cm (24in) in height at maturity. Its leaves are diamond or triangular in shape, measuring up to 15 cm (6in) long. They are thick, wavy, and glossy green. Yellow flowers bloom in summer at the axils of the leaves, and the fruits are capsule-shaped and covered in small prickles. Unlike spinach, it does not easily go to seed, even during episodes of extreme heat.

Harvest: The harvest of New Zealand Spinach takes place approximately 3 months after sowing, or two months after planting, leaf by leaf, depending on their growth and the needs. The leaves located around the base of the plant are cut, allowing the center to continue developing and producing new leaves.

Storage: New Zealand Spinach does not keep well in the refrigerator as it tends to wilt. It is best to consume it a few hours after harvesting. However, you can freeze it after blanching it for 3 minutes in salted boiling water.

Gardener's tip: Beware of attacks from slugs and snails. To limit watering, we recommend, once the soil has warmed up well, mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, preferably mixed with dead leaves. This protection, which keeps the soil moist, also helps limit weed growth.