Gynura Species, Longevity Spinach, Sabungai

"Longevity spinach" is a fitting name for this supposedly tender tropical, which has bounced back reliably in a mulched bed following two...Read More Zone 7-8 winters with snow and temperatures down to 10F (-12C). This easily cultivated plant is one that should be found in more vegetable gardens. It grows quickly, appreciates rich soil, warmth, and frequent moisture, and is resilient during times of stress. The mild, tender leaves are delicious in salads and stews, and possess documented health benefits. This rambling plant is suitable for larger containers, and can be pruned for indoor overwintering easily and without distress if one wants edible foliage year round. Otherwise, it will die back to the ground in the winter and return in the spring. It is easily propagated from cuttings.

I have been growing this plant for almost 2 years now. it's a low growing climber or low growing climbing shrub.

When it ...Read Morearrived it looked really good, but i had to combat multiple pest invasions for many weeks and months. It has below average insect resistance but is still suitable as a housplant. it does seem to get thrips regardless of how many times you spray , with daily or weekly care aphids give up on this plant and don't come back. I usually keep it small so i can pick off insects every day or 2, once you let it get big it's really difficult to take care off. So do not let it get big inside because it will suffer from occasional infestations. This plant is tolerant of alot of pesticides, it never had any leaf burn by chemical spraying.

This plant can be placed in light shade or full sun. I do not recommend placing it in full sun during late spring or summer unless you have very high air humidity because it gets burned easily in too much summer sun. This plant kept growing inside the house through winter and never slowed down or got dormant. It is hardy a few degrees celcius below freezing ( -3 C and maybe -5 C for short periods of time) and never really suffers inside the house on a cold spot.

It can do in moist soil and is pretty drought tolerant ragarding its a tropical plant. i just treat it as a ordinary houseplant and only water when the soil is getting dry.

The stems have somekind of purple and green blotching and striping it looks pretty cool, this is the kind of plant that has a fluorescent green look , just the same hue when you see spring foliage emerging. The new tips and shoots are bright green, and almost have a silver aura around them in bright light.

According to studies it contains multiple anti-inflammatory compounds but more importantly it contains alkaloids that are very effective at preventing, decreasing or possibly curing diabetes and glucose intolerance. This is one of the reasons i bought it and i was really suprised by this plant.

First of all it has a very spicy scent, almost somewhat like nutmeg, cardamon and black pepper. The leaves are really juicy and good to eat , they are soft but have enough texture to provide a crunch. The taste is more or less neutral and taste like calendula leaves with a slight spinach like aftertaste. i find it very palatable and easy to eat raw and use in dishes.

Here comes the fun part. When you fertilize it and give it alot of light and maximum care it will grow like crazy in spring and summer. i keep it in a very small pot and pinch the tips occasionally because it can put up so much growth in a short time it can get difficult to care for . The really fun thing about this plant is that if you take a cutting and you place it in regular tap water in light shade it will root in 4 days.

I had cuttings rooting in 2 days , it is just so easy to create a army of these. And they do not take any time to establish, i kept a few of these in a glass of water for a few weeks ( i do refresh the water every 1 or 2 days ) and they kept growing. This plant is HIGHLY suitable for hydroculture and i think you can get a very high yield in a short amount of time.

Just be sure to keep it inside during winter and inspect it daily for pests. i found that keeping the plant small and rubbing off and spaying off pests daily is a good prevention method.