41 Farrell street, Yandina
Hardy perennial scrambler related to betel pepper.
Other Names: Wild betel, Lolot, Kadok
Origin: Southeast Asia
Size: 0.4m high, 1m spread, spreads by suckering
Growing conditions: partial shade
Harvest: all year
Propagation: from soft cuttings or layering
Growing tips: Spreads by suckers to form dense ground cover.
Use: Leaves can be eaten raw in salads or used to wrap food like vine leaves.
Availability in shop: spring to autumn
Heat-loving, tall shrub or tree with edible leaves, seeds and roots.
Other names: Moringa, Drumstick Tree
Origin: India
Size: 10-12m high, 5m spread ( or pruned to size)
Growing conditions: full hot sun, drought hardy, does not tolerate frost
Harvest: anytime except winter
Propagation: 50cm long hardwood cuttings planted in spring directly into soil or pots
Growing tips: Keep tree well-pruned by cutting back annually to 1 – 2 metres; this will encourage new leaves and also keep leaves and pods within easy reach. Plant trees as a living fence.
Use: The leaves are the most nutritious part of the tree, being high in calcium and protein and leaves can be picked for salads and stir-fries or sprinkled over pumpkin soup just before serving (can take pumpkin soup to another level). They have a mild mustard taste, while the roots of the tree can be substituted for horseradish where required. The seeds can be fried or roasted and the young pods can be added to soups and stews. Flowers can be eaten also (make a batter using besan flour, dip the flower in the batter and drop in hot oil until lightly browned). Pods freeze well. High-quality oil is extracted from the seed and the seed powder left over from this process has been trialled for purifying water. The sap is used for a blue dye.
Availability in shop: sometimes when mature cuttings are available
Fast growing, perennial, soft-stemmed climber with succulent leaves. Red stemmed variety ‘Rubra’.
Other Names: Malabar Spinach
Origin: Tropical Asia and Africa
Size: climber to 6m high
Growing conditions: full sun
Harvest: when leaves are at a size you desire
Propagation: best from seeds, but can use soft cuttings
Growing tips: A perennial, soft-stemmed sprawling plant which prefers to climb if given the opportunity. Lush-green, heart-shaped leaves (up to 20cm length) form alternately along the stem (red and green varieties available, red variety is called ‘Rubra’). They have small flowers and dark black seeds, which are great for use as a natural dye. Plants adapt to any soil but prefer richer soils for fast growth. Ceylon Spinach can be used as a living mulch to shade trees from the Western sun and then pulled back or cut and harvested when no longer needed.
People living in flats or with only a small back yard can grow them in a bucket-sized pot providing a stake or fork for climbing growth. Tip pruning allows stems to develop multiple branches and flowers can be nipped off early in their season to encourage further leaf growth.
Use: Leaves and shoots are delicious in salads, stir fries, soups, and stews. Needs cooking to remove mucilage.
Availability in shop: Best in late summer to autumn.
Small herbaceous plant with small white flowers. Very hardy.
Other Names: South American Crinkle Salad, Poor Man’s Spinach
Origin: South American Highlands
Size: 0.3m high, 0.5m spread
Growing conditions: partial sun to shade
Harvest: any time through the growing season
Propagation: best from soft cuttings in spring
Growing tips: Brazilian Spinach can be planted as a solid border or left to ramble on its many branches to cover an area up to a metre wide. Cuttings can be taken during the wet season and either planted out or placed in a jar with water to encourage root growth prior to planting. Tiny white flowers will form at the end of the season (winter), and the succulent leaves will turn a bit papery and bitter; however, they can still be eaten cooked at this stage.
Use: Brazilian spinach is a prolific source of greens in the garden; it can be used in salads with other greens; it can be used as a spinach substitute – try it in combination with Tahitian spinach and arrowroot leaves to make a spinach and feta pie; the leaves can also be substituted for basil when making pesto.
Availability in shop: All year round.
Suggested Recipes: Brazilian Spinach with Macadamia Nut Pesto; Spinach, Fetta & Ricotta Pie
Hardy, short-lived perennial shrub with large yellow flowers. Leaves and flowers can be eaten raw or cooked.
Other Names: Queensland Greens, Slipper Cabbage, Hibiscus Spinach
Origin: tropical Asia
Size: 2-3m high, 1.5m spread
Growing conditions: full sun
Harvest: Jan – May
Propagation: Take 30 cm woody cuttings in spring & summer. Plant straight into rich soil, or establish in pots.
Growing tips: Aibika benefits from pruning at the beginning of each growing season to make the plant bush out. It is a hardy plant and prefers a sunny aspect with rich, moist, well- drained soil and protection from frosts.
The two main types grown on the Sunshine Coast have either finger-like leaves or a tri-lobe form. Aibikas are heavy feeders, so, to ensure constant leaf production, regular fertilising during the growing season is essential. Grasshoppers are very fond of aibika, so a good deterrent is to interplant aibika with perennial bush basil.
Aibika is very attractive planted in groups or as a hedge in the garden, where it provides a cool microclimate under its large leaves. Consider growing a ground cover of peanuts under (for nitrogen fixing), with a tomato or bean growing up the aibika’s trunk and you have a productive nitrogen-fixing guild with food on the way.
Use: Pick young leaves and add in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, or use the leaves sparingly in a salad as they contain mucilage and can make your finished dish quite slimy if too many are added. Older leaves will definitely need to be cooked to remove the mucilage. Large leaves can be used as wraps and to make dolmades. The flowers are also edible and can be eaten either raw or cooked. Aibika is very nutritious, with plenty of protein, vitamins and minerals, including iron.
Availability in shop: Most times during summer.