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Warrigal greens

Tetragonia tetragonioides · also New Zealand spinach

A sprawling native leafy green that grows through summer heat when spinach bolts. It's easy, drought tolerant and self-sows freely. Blanch the leaves briefly and discard the water before eating, to reduce oxalates.

When to plant where you live

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Add warrigal greens to my garden

Planting times for other areas

Neighbours

Grows well with

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    60 cm apart, seed 15 mm deep. Full sun.

  2. Water

    Low to moderate.

  3. Feed

    Little needed.

  4. Pick, from about 7 weeks

    Pick tips; blanch to remove oxalates.

Good to know

  • Pick young tips for the most tender leaves
  • Grows well in pots or as a groundcover under taller crops

Common problems

  • Spreads widelypick regularly and pull unwanted seedlings
  • Snails on young plantshand pick
  • Tough, bitter leaves in droughtwater occasionally in summer and pick tips often

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about warrigal greensAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing warrigal greensQuestions, tips and harvests from the community

Native and wildlife

An Australian native. Plant tube stock in autumn so roots settle in over winter rain.

Safety: High in oxalates; blanch before eating.

Where this information comes from
  • Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia (growing, medium confidence)
  • ABC Gardening Australia Plant Finder: Warrigal Greens (growing, high confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
  • Australian Native Plants Society (Australia): plant profiles (planting time, medium confidence)
  • Poisons information centre plant guidance (Australia) (toxicity, low confidence)

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.