Chaya
Quick grow facts
Soil
No source found
Pot size
No source found
Pollination
No source found
Pests & diseases
Insects have not bothered chaya at ECHO; once established, insect and disease resistant
ECHOLook out for (Houston)
Very resistant to hot humid summers and drought; regrows if a freeze kills the top
ECHOWhat it is
Tree spinach (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius), otherwise known as Tread Softly, Cabbage Star, or Chaya, is a tropical shrub or small tree of about 6 m in height. (Species-level info; not specific to this variety.)
PFAFWhy grow/eat it
No source found
How to use it
The young leaves and shoots, detoxified by cooking, are eaten as a vegetable. A good flavour, they are boiled and used as a spinach.
PFAFHarvest in Houston
No source found
Container tips
Agroforestry Services: Crop shade Agroforestry Services: Living fence Management: Coppice Management: Standard Minor Global Crop Other Systems: Homegarden Staple Crop: Protein A plant of tropical regions, it can survive harsh conditions of high temperatures and droughts. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 32°c, but can tolerate 12 - 38°c.
PFAFCautions
The uncooked leaves contain cyanogenic glycosides that produce hydrogen cyanide upon tissue damage. The cooking time required to lower HCN to safe levels is about 15 minutes.
PFAF