How to grow Magenta Spreen

Requires little special care, can blow over if in an exposed position

Quick to germinate needs good light to prevent the seedlings growing too tall

For optimal germination, soil temperature should be a minimum of 12°C / 54°F.

Plant out after frosts have past into a sunny spot towards the back of the border

Magenta Spreen is tender, so ensure you wait until all danger of frost has passed in your area before considering planting outside - as a guideline, the minimum temperature outside should be approximately 12°C / 54°F.

Pick the leaves while the plants are still young. They are best sauteed or cooked and can be substituted in any recipe calling for cooked spinach. They aren’t a good substitute for raw spinach, though.

The seeds—being kin to the grain amaranth—can be used in baking just as you would use poppy seeds or sesame seeds. It can also be ground to make a gluten-free flour.

Magentaspreen is also a decorative tall border plant

This plant grows quite large and puts out a copious amount of tiny seeds which will readily germinate the next season wherever it scatters. It is borderline invasive; but it’s so tasty and pretty I don’t mind. Young plants are easy to pull up if you don’t want so many.

When the seed pods are dry and seeds start to fall, I carefully cut the branches and put them into paper bags for dihiscence. Just the act of collecting the seed scatters quite a bit, so if you want to keep it under control you might spread a sheet beneath the plants before you begin to collect the seed.

These estimates for how long Magenta Spreen takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

It is thought that the name is from a corruption of Lammas quarter, the harvest time at the end of summer.

Tree Spinach, Giant purple passion plant, Magenta Lambsquarters, magenta orache, purple goosefoot

¹ wikipedia.org