I like experimenting with new varieties of herbs and vegetables in the garden. Spinach is a green that I love, but it doesn’t really like Texas weather and I’m always intimidated by the sheer volume I would need to grow and harvest. Somewhere I ran across Malabar Spinach, which is almost custom-made for Texas conditions. It tolerates high heat and humidity, shrugs off periods of drought, and is largely untroubled by pests or diseases. From the culinary side I’ll tell you this – you will either love it or hate it. The texture is not like the delicate leaves of true spinach. It has a little of that okra texture to it which actually makes it perfect for thickening stews and soups. It sautes well, and I especially like combining it with other hearty greens like kale and collards.

Malabar Spinach is a vine, and a very prolific one at that. It LOVES heat. THRIVES in heat. Right now it is September in Texas, high 90’s and I’ve got one single plant blanketing almost 6 square feet of garden space. It is deep, deep green with red stems and veins. It self seeds readily and before you know it young vines may pop up everywhere – between pavers and in flower beds. Without some attention, malabar spinach can easily overstay it’s welcome. Key management includes: Train it – give malabar spinach a trellis, fence or arbor. Collect the berries: If you don’t want malabar spinach everywhere next year be diligent about picking the ripe berries before they drop. Pull unwanted seedlings early while they are easy to pull and before they develop roots.