Post #37 Katuk (Sauropus androgynus)
Blog Description: Katuk (Sauropus androgynus), Zone 10 south Florida gardening for food, subtropical, permaculture, forest gardening, sustainable gardening, perennial, edible plant
Let’s talk about growing greens! Growing greens for salad, saute, and soups has to be one of the easiest and most prolific foods to keep in your garden. We all know eating your greens every day is a healthy part of any diet, and to keep it interesting variety is key.
Here in South Florida we might feel somewhat limited in the greens we grow throughout the year due to the high temperature. Most lettuces, spinach, and kales like the cooler weather. They bolt in the hot sun, leaving our salad bowls potentially empty!
But wait, there is an answer to that. Expand your horizons and look to tropical perennial plants for your daily dose of greens. We’ve already brought chaya to the table. Now let’s introduce katuk, a prolific and tasty tropical green native to Asia that will thrive in your zone 10 garden.
An attractive perennial bush with bright green, edible leaves and tiny, delectable white flowers, katuk can grow upwards of 20 feet if left to its own devices. As a regularly harvested vegetable, it will hover around 6 feet. We like to prune ours when the stalks start to droop and fall, around 5 feet or so, for the most tender harvest.
Katuk thrives in full sun but will tolerate part shade just fine. Plant it by itself or as an edible hedge. Because it grows straight up and takes a 1’ wide area when young (maybe 3’ after a few years), it can be sandwiched in almost anywhere in part shade.
The leaves can be harvested year round, and they taste possibly the best of the raw tropical greens, with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor often likened to fresh peas or peanuts. We use them to round out our salads. The youngest leaves are the most tender and delicious to eat raw. The older leaves are best cooked. The tender tips of the stems are tasty as well. They are sometimes referred to as Asian Asparagus.
Why We Love Katuk
- An Antioxidant Powerhouse – with 20 times the amount of spinach in a single serving, katuk is a great immune booster.
- Protein Packed – katuk is 49% protein – or 6.4 grams per 100 gram serving, talk about an amazing plant based source! Throw a few leaves in your protein smoothies to give them a nutritional boost.
- Easy Keeper – disease and pest resistant, it grows readily from cuttings although you can grow it from seed too (each flower will develop into a fruit that will produce 3 black seeds). Once it’s rooted it will likely take off to become well established and need very little attention.
A word to the wise: As much as we love it, the phrase “everything in moderation” rings true for katuk. When eaten in excess there have been reported and also researched cases of a lung condition called bronchiolitis obliterans. Common symptoms are shortness of breath and a dry cough, but some people are asymptomatic.
Rest assured, however, a couple of ounces a day in your salads or stir fries will offer you all the health benefits with none of the side effects. Better yet, grow a variety of salad greens and switch them up throughout the week to maximize their varied health benefits and to avoid too much of a good thing.
Katuk growing in the garden as a backdrop to other plants
Profile:
Common Name: Katuk
Latin Name: Sauropus androgynus
Zones: 9-12
Exposure: full to partial sun
Soil: does well with most soil, adaptable
pH: 5.5 – 7.5
Water: keep evenly hydrated
Fertilize: manure or a high nitrogen organic fertilizer
Drought Tolerance: moderate to high
So, where do you find it?
Purchase young plants online or if you are in South Florida check with your local nurseries. They may be able to order one for you even if they do not stock them.
Purchase seeds online or through a seed catalog.
Reach out to local community gardening groups and see if anyone has cuttings available.
If you’ve never tried it before and want to cook with it before you grow it, check out your local farmer’s markets. Ask around to the vendors and see if anyone has some fresh leaves for purchase.
So there you have it, another easy to grow and keep perennial leafy green to add to your garden and weekly recipe repertoire!
Do you already grow katuk? If so, how do you prepare it? I’d love to hear from you!
Until next time, Happy gardening!
Mary