Texas Gardening: Lettuce / Greens For Spring/Summer, 1 by podster

podster wrote:
jdbell ~ I will agree with Lisa about the Malabar spinach. I grow it and enjoy it in salads. It can also be cooked or used in stir fry dishes. It is a pretty, ornamental vine also. The warmer the summer gets, the better it grows.

I also grew Ceylon spinach this past summer but was less than enthused about the taste/texture of the leaves. I will try it again this summer to make sure I didn't like it. LOL

I will also agree that you should give some of the Asian greens a try. Some are better suited to the warmth of the south. I spent the past rainy weekend reading thru scores of seed catalogues and one (but I don't recall which one) listed a selection of Asian greens suited to a warmer climate. I'll try to find it and link or list the suggested greens.

I also grew roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) but waited on the calyces. Lisas' son hadn't told me the leaves were edible. 8 ) The calyces of roselle can be used to make juice, sauce, jelly, wine or pie. Roselle juice is similar to cranberry juice, but not as bitter. The taste rather reminds me of crabapples we ate while growing up. I need to grow it again.

It is also a pretty ornamental!