(Chenopodium foliosum)

A unique annual in the Amaranth family with distinctive, fleshy, red, aggregate fruits growing along the stems between their deeply serrated triangular leaves. The fruits and leaves are edible; the leaves have a flavor similar to spinach and the fruits are colorful with a mild, sweet flavor. The leaves are good fresh in a salad or can be cooked as a potherb or braising green. Steaming or boiling in a change of water can reduce the oxalic acid content for those sensitive to it.

The fruits have small black seeds in each lobe of the ‘strawberries’ and, like pineapples or raspberries, are aggregate fruits. As the fruits get riper they start to dry and the seeds inside grow harder, so it is best to harvest them for eating when they first achieve their red color and juicy quality.

These plants are a great snack for people, chickens, rodents, some birds, cows, sheep, goats and other creatures. They contain some oxalic acid, like spinach and many other foods. When consumed in too great a quantity, the calcium and magnesium crystals that form can become harmful to the kidneys and the health of the animal or person. The general guideline is to diversify foods to prevent this from becoming a problem.

Like many plants in the amaranth family, strawberry sticks are pioneer species. These plants are able to survive and make seed in challenging soil conditions, such as nutrient poor, low moisture, salty, biologically inactive, or underdeveloped soils. They have dense root systems with feathery root hairs that are able to access a large surface area of soil without the help of symbiotic fungi on their roots. Plants in this family rely more exclusively on soil bacteria for nutrient availability. That said, they will be most productive and tasty with regular water, access to nutrients, and good tilth.

Plants can handle full sun to shade. Seeds are easy to direct sow or start in flats to plant out after frost. These seeds germinate quickly at non-freezing temperatures. Seeds are winter hardy, so you could easily get volunteer plants the following spring if the plants are allowed to drop seeds.

Packet: 200 seeds