Plant Details

Chenopodium giganteum

Tree spinach

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Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Chenopodium giganteum.

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Common names

23 names · 16 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (15)
Dutch
  • Boomspinazie[2]
  • Fluo-melde
French
  • Épinard d'arbre
Afrikaans
Chinese (Simplified)
Czech
  • merlík obrovský[2]
Finnish
  • jättisavikka[2]
German
  • Baumspinat[2]
  • Riesen-Gänsefuß[1]
  • Riesengänsefuß[2]
Hungarian
  • Óriás libatop[2]
Japanese
  • アカザ[2]
  • タカサゴムラサキアカザ[2]
  • 藜[2]
Polish
  • komosa olbrzymia[2]
Russian
  • Марь гигантская[2]
Slovak
  • mrlík obrovský[2]
Spanish
  • Cenizo gigante[1]
  • Quelite gigante[2]
Swedish
  • praktmålla[2]
Turkish
  • Meksika Ispanak Ağacı[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 — Chenopodium giganteum D.Don ↗

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

Source records
  • Riesen-Gänsefuß (DE); Tree Spinach (EN); Cenizo gigante (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 148929; taxon TXDF.
[2] Chenopodium giganteum — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

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

Source records
  • Tree spinach — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • Quelite gigante — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • Boomspinazie — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • Baumspinat — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • Riesengänsefuß — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • jättisavikka — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • タカサゴムラサキアカザ — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • praktmålla — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • 杖藜 — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • vakbos — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • vakbossie — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • アカザ — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • 藜 — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • merlík obrovský — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • Óriás libatop — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • komosa olbrzymia — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • mrlík obrovský — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • Марь гигантская — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.
  • Meksika Ispanak Ağacı — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 208769; Chenopodium giganteum.

General information

Scientific name: Chenopodium giganteum
Accepted name (Kew): Chenopodium giganteum D.Don View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Amaranthaceae

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

Sources [1]
Also known as: Tree spinach
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 2.40 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-8
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Seed
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(0)
Functions:
Dye, Wood

Description

The leaves of this plant can be cooked and are of high quality; they can serve as a replacement for spinach. However, the raw leaves should be eaten in moderation due to potential toxicity. The seeds can also be cooked and ground into powder. This powder can be mixed with wheat or other grains to make, for example, bread. The seeds are small (about 1.5 mm in diameter) and should be soaked in water overnight and rinsed well before use to remove any saponins.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/08
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 1323916; name ID 2716928; Chenopodium L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1345403; name ID 2717345; Chenopodium giganteum D.Don.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Chenopodium giganteum

    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 5196825, ID TXDF: Chenopodium giganteum D.Don (accepted).

    Source checked on .