Chaya Spinach (Tree Spinach) 7G

Chaya Spinach (Tree Spinach) in 7-Gallon Pot available in Jupiter, FL.

Nutritious, resilient, and wonderfully low-maintenance—the Chaya Spinach Plant (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius), often called Tree Spinach, is a powerhouse perennial green perfectly suited for South Florida gardens. This 7-gallon size is a fast-growing, well-rooted shrub ready to flourish in your edible landscape, food forest, or container garden.

Chaya leaves must be cooked before eating (5–15 minutes of boiling), but once prepared, they’re rich in protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins—a delicious and sustainable alternative to traditional spinach, especially in the heat of summer when most leafy greens struggle.

Care & Growing Info (Optimized for South Florida):

• Sunlight: Prefers full sun to partial shade. Performs best with 6+ hours of sun but tolerates light shade—making it versatile for various garden spots.

• Watering: Water regularly during establishment, then transition to low to moderate watering. Chaya is highly drought-tolerant once mature.

• Soil: Adapts to most soil types but thrives in well-draining, organically rich soil. Sandy loam with compost is ideal.

• Fertilizer: Low feeder. Apply compost or a mild organic fertilizer 2–3 times per year for steady, leafy growth.

• Growth Habit: Fast-growing, upright shrub with lobed green leaves and occasional small white flowers. In a 7-gallon pot, it typically reaches 3–5 feet, with the potential to grow up to 8–10 feet tall when planted in-ground.

• Temperature: Ideal for USDA Zones 9B–11. Thrives in hot, humid South Florida. Can survive brief cold spells but may drop leaves in frost—recovers quickly in spring.

• Maintenance: Very low. Prune regularly to harvest leaves and maintain manageable size. Use gloves when pruning—the stems may release a sticky white sap.

Edible Use & Caution: Only eat cooked leaves—raw Chaya contains compounds that must be neutralized through boiling. Once prepared, it’s a nutrient-dense supergreen used in stews, soups, and sautéed dishes.

Ideal For:

• Sustainable edible gardens

• Summer spinach alternative

• Food forests and permaculture systems

• Containers or in-ground planting

• Gardeners seeking perennial greens

Plant Classification:

• Scientific Name: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius

• Plant Type: Perennial leafy shrub

• Class: Dicot

• Growth Form: Shrubby, upright plant with edible leaves

• Container Size: 7-gallon pot

Jupiter Farms & Nursery