Practical
Plants

Rhagodia spinescens

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Rhagodia genus in the family Chenopodiaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.5 m

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - cooked. A salty flavour[1]. Fruit - raw. Sweet and palatable[1].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
Australia - South Australia.
Habitat
Not known
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a week, prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. It tolerates temperatures down to about -7°c in Australian gardens[2], though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. This species is unlikely to be hardy anywhere other than the mildest parts of the country[K]. Requires a sunny position and a well-drained soil.

References

  1. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

    ↩1↩2

  2. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩

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