Strawberry Blite (Chenopodium capitatum, Blitum capitatum) is an edible annual plant, also known as Blite Goosefoot, Strawberry Goosefoot, Strawberry Spinach, Indian Paint, and Indian Ink. It is native to most of North America throughout the United States and Canada, including northern areas. It is considered to be endangered in Ohio. It is also found in parts of Europe and New Zealand. Flowers are small, pulpy, bright red and edible, resembling strawberries. The juice from the flowers was also used as a red dye by natives. The fruits contain small, black, lens-shaped seeds that are 0.7-1.2 mm long. The greens are edible raw or as a potherb, but should be eaten in moderation. Strawberry Blite is found in moist mountian valleys.
Both the leaves and the berries are delicious! 45 days. Strawberry Spinach is one of the best-kept secrets of the herb world. A native American plant, this annual sets tiny, deliciously tender leaves that can be cooked like spinach or used fresh in salads. It also sets small red fruits in late summer and fall that taste a bit like mulberries and are lovely fresh or canned. A delectable and useful plant, you'll want it front and center of the herb garden!
It's always so nice when you can use almost the entire plant instead of just one part, and Strawberry Spinach draws out this pleasure by setting new leaves all season long. Snip off just what you need at the moment, and harvest more later! The foliage is slender, deeply lobed, and appears in rosettes along long, slender stems.
The berries are scrumptious as well. Quite small, they resemble raspberries more than strawberries, but there's no mistaking that bright strawberry-red hue! The berries arise at the base of each stem, and a plant in full fruit is a glorious sight!
Grow Strawberry Spinach in full sun (direct-sowing the seeds works best) and rich, fertile soil. It reaches about 18 inches high and 12 inches wide, and needs no staking or supports. Easy and trouble-free, it's an exciting new addition to the herb garden, vegetable patch, or even the flowering annual bed.
