Plant Details

Atriplex hortensis

Orach

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Common names

22 names · 20 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (19)
Dutch
French
  • Arroche
  • Arroche des jardins[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 榆钱菠菜[2]
Czech
  • lebeda zahradní[2]
Estonian
Finnish
  • tarhamaltsa[2]
German
Hungarian
  • Kerti laboda[2]
Italian
  • Bietolone rosso[2]
Japanese
  • ヤマホウレンソウ[2]
Lithuanian
  • Daržinė balandūnė[2]
Norwegian
Polish
  • łoboda ogrodowa[2]
Romanian
Russian
  • Лебеда садовая[2]
Slovak
  • loboda záhradná[2]
Swedish
  • trädgårdsmålla[2]
Turkish
  • Hayat Süpürgesi[2]
Ukrainian
  • Лутига городня[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Atriplex hortensis L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Garden Orache (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 148839; taxon 688F5.
  • Garten-Melde (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 148840; taxon 688F5.
[2] Atriplex hortensis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • garden orache — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Arroche des jardins — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • lebeda zahradní — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Tuinmelde — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • hagemelde — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • tarhamaltsa — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Garten-Melde — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Лебеда садовая — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • trädgårdsmålla — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • ヤマホウレンソウ — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • 榆钱菠菜 — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • aedmalts — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Daržinė balandūnė — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Lobodă — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • łoboda ogrodowa — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Kerti laboda — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Bietolone rosso — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • loboda záhradná — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Лутига городня — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.
  • Hayat Süpürgesi — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 62340; Atriplex hortensis.

General information

Scientific name: Atriplex hortensis
Accepted name (Kew): Atriplex hortensis L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Amaranthaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Atriplex (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Orach
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 1.80 m
Spread: 0.30 m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 5-9
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Seed
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Biomass production, Companion plant, Dye

Description

Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and have a neutral flavor. They are traditionally mixed with sorrel leaves to adjust the acidity. Some reports suggest that the flavor is stronger than that of spinach. The seeds can be cooked, ground into flour, and used in soups or mixed with flour for bread. They are a good source of vitamin A and also contain saponins. The small size of the seeds makes them difficult to harvest and use. It is important to note that toxicity may occur; see the above comments regarding this.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/07
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1321445; name ID 2664993; Atriplex L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 739523; name ID 2665365; Atriplex hortensis L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Atriplex hortensis

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 1990953, ID 688F5: Atriplex hortensis L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .