// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Spinach

Spinacia oleracea

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a cultivated annual food crop grown for its edible leaf. Family: Amaranthaceae (amaranth family). Originally from Central & Western Asia. Grown as an annual in zones 3a–11a. Mature size 6"–1'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Mar–May and Oct–Dec.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Amaranthaceae (amaranth family)
Group: crop · annual
Origin: Central & Western Asia · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 3a–11a (as an annual)
Mature size: 6"–1'
Sun: Sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Edible parts: leaf
Harvest (NE OK): Mar–May and Oct–Dec
Garden role: cold-hardy leafy green · overwinters under row cover · spring & fall crop

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) — *Spinacia oleracea* — Spinach. Photo by Rasbak via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: cold-hardy leafy green · overwinters under row cover · spring & fall crop. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, spinach pairs well with: Garden Pea (Pisum sativum), Radish (Raphanus sativus), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Onion (Allium cepa).