Herb: Hastate Orach


Latin name: Atriplex hastata


Synonyms: Atriplex deltoidea


Family: Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)



Edible parts of Hastate Orach:

Leaves - cooked. Used as a spinach substitute, they have a fairly bland flavour and are often mixed with stronger tasting leaves. Seed - cooked. Ground into a powder and used to thicken soups etc or added to wheat flour and used in making bread. Very fiddly to harvest because the seed is quite small.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
75 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Waste or disturbed ground, often near the sea, on sand, shingle and mud above the high-tide mark.

Propagation of Hastate Orach:

Seed - sow April/May in situ. Germination is usually rapid.

Cultivation of the herb:

Waste or disturbed ground, often near the sea, on sand, shingle and mud above the high-tide mark.

Medicinal use of Hastate Orach:

None known

Known hazards of Atriplex hastata:

No member of this genus contains any toxins, all have more or less edible leaves. However, if grown with artificial fertilizers, they may concentrate harmful amounts of nitrates in their leaves.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.