Malabar spinach isn't a true spinach at all, but tastes like it when cooked. Learn how to grow this prolific staple green with our guide!Malabar spinach is a warm-weather vegetable that originates from Asia and is a common ingredient in many Asian cuisines. Its leaves, shoots, and berries are all edible and have different culinary applications. Malabar is a region on the southwest coast of India where the tropical climate provides the perfect growing condition for this vigorous vine. This vegetable is also known as Indian spinach, Ceylon spinach, or vine spinach.
One common issue with growing regular spinach is that spinach tends to bolt and turn bitter as soon as the temperature rises. Last year in my zone 5b garden, I was only able to get a few short weeks of harvest out of my Bloomsdale Long Standing variety between the last frost and the first heatwave of late spring. It was the first leafy green to bolt in my garden, even before my arugula! Although Malabar spinach is not botanically related to common market spinach varieties, it can be a great alternative to produce in your summer garden.
When grown in warm conditions such as in Southern California or the southern states in the U.S., Malabar spinach is a perennial. In most other climates it is grown as an annual. It can also become invasive if you let your plants go to seed. However, if your growing region experiences any frost, you can only grow this vegetable as an annual and it makes a great succession planting alternative after cold-hardy leafy greens.