Ceylon Spinach is a vigorous tropical vine that defies its common name by belonging to an entirely different plant family than true spinach, yet delivers the same beloved spinach flavor from tender stems and leaves. This heat-loving climber reaches 6 feet tall in a single season when trellised, or sprawls along the ground as a dense groundcover, making it exceptionally adaptable to different garden designs. The 'Red Stem' cultivar adds ornamental appeal with its distinctive red-tinged foliage, blurring the line between vegetable and decorative vine. Grow it as a warm-season annual in full sun, starting seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, and you'll have a productive, fast-growing harvest vine that thrives where traditional spinach would bolt.
Full Sun
Moderate
10-12
72in H x 36in W
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High
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Red-stemmed foliage catches light beautifully while delivering genuine spinach flavor from leaves that never bolt in summer heat. This tropical vine climbs vigorously to 6 feet in a season or tumbles gracefully across the ground, offering unusual flexibility in how you use it in the garden. Unlike true spinach, which retreats when temperatures soar, Ceylon Spinach thrives in the warmth and produces continuously through summer and into fall, making it a reliable source of fresh greens when most cool-season crops have given up.
Harvest tender stems and leaves throughout the growing season to use fresh in salads, wilted into cooked dishes, or steamed as you would traditional spinach. The thick, fleshy leaves hold up well to cooking without falling apart, making them excellent for adding to curries, soups, and stir-fries. Young leaf shoots can be pinched off continuously, encouraging bushier growth and a prolonged harvest that extends from midsummer through the first frost.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow at the temperature and light conditions typical for tropical vegetables, then grow seedlings under bright light until they are ready to transplant outdoors.
Transplant outdoors only after the last spring frost date has passed and soil has warmed sufficiently. Move seedlings gradually into outdoor light and temperature conditions over several days before planting in the garden to harden them off. Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart if planting multiple vines.
Seeds may be planted directly in the garden at the last spring frost date, sown into warm soil where they will germinate readily.
Begin harvesting leaves and tender stems once the plant is established and producing vigorously. Pinch off young shoot tips and tender leaves regularly throughout the growing season to encourage branching and sustained production. The plant will continue yielding until the first hard frost arrives, at which point it will decline rapidly as a tender annual.
Train the vine onto a sturdy trellis, fence, lamppost, or other support structure to direct its climb and maximize vertical space. If growing for ornament rather than food, allow it to trail along the ground or cascade from a structure. Regular pinching of young shoot tips encourages branching and fuller foliage development, and harvesting leaves frequently (as you would for vegetable production) naturally shapes the plant.
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“Basella rubra belongs to an ancient group of tropical vines native to the East Indies, where they have been cultivated for centuries as both food and ornamental plants. The plant arrived in Western gardens through trade routes and botanical exploration, eventually earning the misleading common name Malabar spinach despite its unrelated lineage. Its introduction to temperate-zone gardeners represents a conscious choice to embrace tropical productivity, bringing year-round harvesting potential to regions where seasonal gaps have long interrupted the spinach supply.”