Plant Details

Tetragonia tetragonioides

New Zealand Spinach

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Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Tetragonia tetragonioides.

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Common names

3 names · 3 languages
EnglishYour language
  • New Zealand Spinach
Other languages (2)
Dutch
  • Nieuw-Zeelandse spinazie
French
  • Épinard de Nouvelle-Zélande
Sources & name notes

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

General information

Scientific name: Tetragonia tetragonioides
Accepted name (Kew): Tetragonia tetragonoides View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited taxonomic treatment. Botanical references may use alternative names.

Sources [1]
Botanical family: Aizoaceae

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

Sources [1]
Also known as: New Zealand Spinach

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Vegetable, Ground cover
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.20 m
Spread: 1.00 m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 8-11
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(0)
Functions:
None

Description

Leaves can be eaten both raw and cooked and serve as an alternative to spinach. The shoots should be harvested when they are about 8 cm long. This stimulates side growth, resulting in more shoots to harvest. In addition to cooking, the very young leaves and shoots can also be used raw in salads. Young leaves are the tastiest; older leaves may develop a sour taste.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/06
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: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: WCVP version 16, wcvp_names.csv: Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze, name ID 2445492, row 172675
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 164285; name ID 2436935; Tetragonia L.. Family column.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.