Publication: Sp. Pl. 2: 1027. 1753.

Origin: Introduced from the Mediterranean

Herbarium search: CPNWH

Notes: Known in Washington from a single historic collection collected in a cultivated setting. Not considered part of the flora until specimens are deposited indicating that it is naturalized.

FNA4: :Reports of populations in Canada and inland areas of the United States appear to be from gardens where the plants do not persist without benefit of cultivation.

Spinach is an important and widely cultivated crop of unknown origin, though known from the Mediterranean region since ancient times. The plant is prized as a rich source of vitamins, calcium, iron, and antioxidant carotenoids, but, if ingested in excessive amounts, the high concentration of oxalates in the leaves can be toxic by inhibiting the absorption of calcium. The cultivated form named var. oleracea has spiny seeds and tends to be more cold hardy than var. inermis, the smooth-seeded variety that is more tolerant of warm weather."

Last updated 5/12/2020 by David Giblin.