Caucasian Spinach (Hablitzia tamnoides)

1 well-established plant in a 9cm pot, sent in plastic-free packaging. A rare, long-lived perennial climber, prized for its vigorous growth and early, continuous harvest of mild edible greens.

Perennial Climber | 200/300cm tall | Partial shade to full sun | Mild, sweet edible shoots and leaves | Exceptionally cold-hardy and shade-tolerant

Caucasian spinach is a vigorous, herbaceous climbing perennial native to the Caucasus region, belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. In the kitchen, it is highly valued as a superior, low-maintenance alternative to annual spinach. The young, shoots that emerge in early spring are considered a gourmet delicacy, harvested and eaten much like asparagus. As the plant rapidly climbs, the heart-shaped leaves can be harvested continuously throughout the growing season. Unlike true annual spinach (Spinacia oleracea), which bolts and turns bitter in the summer heat, the leaves of Caucasian Spinach remain mild and sweet even when the plant reaches maturity and begins to flower.

Caucasian Spinach is a highly functional woodland edge species. Because it initiates growth very early in the year, the dense canopy of twining foliage provides crucial early-season shelter for overwintering beneficial insects. In mid-to-late summer, it produces vast, frothy panicles of tiny, star-shaped green flowers. While individual blooms are small, agronomic observations note that these abundant floral clusters provide a valuable late-season nectar and pollen resource, attracting significant numbers of micro-wasps and hoverflies, which are vital for local aphid control. Its extensive, long-lived root system improves soil structure and prevents erosion in shaded borders.

This climber is exceptionally resilient and long-lived. Originating from cold mountainous regions, it holds an RHS H7 hardiness rating, comfortably surviving extreme winter freezing down to -20°C. Unusually for a productive vegetable crop, it thrives in partial or dappled shade, making it an invaluable addition to a forest garden or a shaded north-facing wall. It requires a trellis, netting, or neighbouring shrubs to support its rapid, twining growth, and performs best in moisture-retentive, neutral to alkaline soil. The plant dies back entirely to a central crown in late autumn; applying a generous mulch of organic matter over the dormant roots will ensure a vigorous, high-yielding flush of edible shoots the following spring.

Delivery Information

All plants are carefully packed and sent in plastic-free packaging to protect both the plant and the environment. Plants are dispatched promptly so they arrive fresh, healthy, and ready to plant.

We ship orders using a tracked 24-hour delivery service, helping to minimise time in transit and reduce stress on the plant. Orders are packed by hand at the nursery, and we aim to dispatch early in the week to avoid delays over weekends.

If you have any questions about delivery timing or combining orders, please get in touch before ordering and we will be happy to help.

To find out more about other plants for your garden visit – https://dyfiplants.substack.com