Dune spinach
Tetragonia decumbens
A sprawling, salt-tolerant coastal green with crisp, juicy leaves; cook it like spinach.
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 5 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Cape coast
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food.
Native to: Cape of South Africa. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.
The story
Dune spinach is one of the shore foods of the Cape that people have gathered since the Stone Age; shell middens along the coast lie among the plants. Cape cooks have brought it back to the table with other veldkos.
Planting
Full sun and sandy soil. It thrives on salt wind and neglect.
Growing
It trails and roots as it goes, holding loose sand. Cut it back if it wanders.
Harvest and use
Pick the young tips and leaves all year. Eat a few raw, or blanch and cook them like spinach.
What to watch for
Frost. Like spinach, it holds oxalates, so cook larger amounts.
See if Dune spinach fits your yard
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More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home