Orache
Orache: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Garden orache, Atriplex hortensis, is an annual plant grown for its edible leaves. It belongs to the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae, like spinach, but is a different species. The name mountain spinach describes a culinary resemblance rather than making it a true spinach. Its foliage and upright growth also give it ornamental interest in a vegetable garden or a border combining edible plants with flowers.The plant develops a vertical stem that can exceed a metre and branch during the season. Its leaves are simple and often triangular, with a fairly broad base and a pointed tip. Their shape varies along the stem, with upper leaves sometimes becoming narrower. A slightly fleshy texture gives them a different presence from salads with very fine or deeply divided foliage. The tall outline is another clear contrast with low-growing leafy vegetables.Cultivated forms offer different colours, from green to deep reddish purple. Red orache produces a…
