Let’s talk about one of the very few “historic” things we grow. Strawberry spinach!
We aren’t particularly nostalgic growers. Though we don’t shy away from classic heirlooms, we see a lot of benefits from modern cross breeding, specifically F1 varieties in our cold climate. But, strawberry spinach is one of those “old plants” we deeply enjoy for a number of reasons.
Had you been out to the local market up until about the early 1900’s, this one would have been a common find. It was a staple across a lot of North American history, but in recent times, has fallen out of favor commercially. It is largely kept alive today by passionate growers, also due to its robust ability to self-seed even in the coldest climates.
Despite the name, strawberry spinach is related to neither spinach or strawberries. It’s actually a member of the Amaranth family. The “berries” are slightly sweet with a pronounced berry like flavor.
This north American native can be found from the most southern tips to even the coldest climates. It has several alternate names including Indian Paint, Strawberry Goosefoot and Strawberry Blite. Its taxonomical name is Blitum capitatum, but most refer to it as strawberry spinach these days.
Native cultures heavily used the juice from this plant’s berries for use as a red paint. For the same reason, it’s also commonly found in purposeful dye gardens. We’ve used it to dye fabrics and yarn before, it creates a decently long lasting pink-reddish color across most white textiles.
The “berries” are quite useful in salads and other topping type of culinary applications. The leaves are also edible, with most favoring the young leaves. The reason for this is that older leaves can produce oxalates, which is lightly toxic. It’s a plant you want to consume in moderation.
We planted strawberry spinach many years ago now and have been enjoying volunteer plants ever since. We don’t find it invasive at all, it tends to stick to where it was planted. In the late season, it provide welcome red spires of color that is both attractive and useful.
Strawberry spinach is definitely one of our most favorite “old school” plants and we try to keep the tradition alive by talking about it!
