VegetableSpinach
Viroflay Spinach
Leafy Greens
Viroflay Spinach brings the gardens of 17th-century Paris to your backyard with leaves that grow an impressive 10 inches long, earning it the delightful nickname 'Monster Spinach.' This hardy French heirloom thrives across zones 3-10 and delivers a sweet, crisp harvest in just 50 days, though some gardeners report picking tender leaves as early as 20-29 days. Its semi-savoyed texture and lower oxalic acid content make it sweeter than typical spinach varieties, while its upright growth habit reaches 24 inches tall in compact, space-efficient bushes.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, High Organic Matter
Preferred Temp50-70°F
Growth Stats
—
Height
—
Width
6 in
Spacing
50–50
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual
TypeForb/herb
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
—
Zones
3-10
Size
?in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
What sets Viroflay apart is its remarkable leaf size and exceptional heat tolerance for a spinach variety, continuing to produce tender leaves well into summer when others would bolt. The semi-savoyed leaves offer the perfect balance between smooth and crinkled textures, while the plant's French heritage brings centuries of careful selection for flavor and productivity. Its compact upright growth makes it ideal for containers, and the quick maturation means you can enjoy multiple harvests throughout the growing season.
Common Uses
Viroflay's tender leaves excel in fresh salads where their crisp texture and sweet flavor shine, while the larger mature leaves hold up beautifully in sautéed dishes and vegetable omelets. The young leaves make excellent additions to green smoothies and juices, while the substantial size of mature leaves makes them perfect for stuffing or using as wraps. Its versatility extends from raw preparations in mixed green salads to cooked dishes served alongside chicken or incorporated into rich, hearty meals.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Spring
First Harvest
30 Days After Sowing
Last Harvest
Late Spring
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow in spring for early harvest or in fall for extended production, spacing seeds 6 inches apart with 1-inch row spacing. In warmer regions, October plantings can provide fresh greens through the Halloween season.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting baby leaves as early as 20-29 days for tender salad greens, or wait the full 50 days for the characteristic large 10-inch leaves that give this variety its 'Monster' reputation. Pick outer leaves regularly to encourage continued production, and harvest before the plant sends up tall flower stalks if you want to maintain leaf quality.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Spinacia oleracea L.
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Spinacia
Duration
Annual
Growth Habit
Bush
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)CAN (I)
History & Origin
“Viroflay Spinach carries the legacy of French market gardens, originating around the 17th century and cultivated extensively in the gardens of Paris. This heirloom variety has been passed down through generations of French gardeners who valued its exceptional leaf size and sweet flavor profile. The variety made its way from Parisian markets to seed catalogs worldwide, where it earned the affectionate nickname 'Monster Spinach' for its impressively large leaves that can stretch 10 inches long.”