// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Swiss Chard

Beta vulgaris (Flavescens Group)

Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris (Flavescens Group)) is a cultivated biennial food crop grown for its edible leaf. Family: Amaranthaceae (amaranth family). Originally from Mediterranean coast. Hardy in zones 3a–11a. Mature size 18"–2'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Apr–Dec.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Amaranthaceae (amaranth family)
Group: crop · biennial
Origin: Mediterranean coast · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 3a–11a
Mature size: 18"–2'
Sun: Sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Edible parts: leaf
Harvest (NE OK): Apr–Dec
Garden role: heat- and cold-tolerant green · cut-and-come-again · harvests spring through fall

Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris (Flavescens Group)) — *Beta vulgaris (Flavescens Group)* — Swiss Chard. Photo by Neelix at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: heat- and cold-tolerant green · cut-and-come-again · harvests spring through fall. 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, swiss chard pairs well with: Onion (Allium cepa), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Garden Pea (Pisum sativum), Dill (Anethum graveolens).