HEIRLOOM - MALABAR SPINACH / WARRIGAL GREENS - 10 SEEDS `Tetragonia tetragonioides`

New Zealand spinach, botanically classified as Tetragonia tetragonioides, is an ancient species belonging to the Aizoaceae family. The bushy, fast-growing perennial stretches in a sprawling fashion across the ground, extending 1 to 2 meters in length, but also grows slightly upright, reaching 20 to 60 centimeters in height. New Zealand spinach is an heirloom species native to Australia and New Zealand. The plant was prevalent as a food source among the Maori people in New Zealand and became famous when European explorers first recorded it in the late 18th century. Despite its moniker, New Zealand spinach is not related to common spinach and was given this descriptor for its similarity in flavor to spinach. When British botanists collected the greens in Botany Bay, Australia, in the 18th century, they were described as having a spinach-like taste, resulting in the spinach moniker. The greens were also commonly referred to as Botany Bay greens and Botany Bay spinach. Throughout history, New Zealand spinach has also acquired several additional titles, including Warrigal greens, a term developed from the seed's resemblance to a dog's face. Warrigal is a term taken from the Wiradjuri word for "dog" and was named after the wild dingo of Australia. New Zealand spinach is also called Maori spinach, Native Australian Bushtucker, Sydney greens, Cook's Cabbage, Sea Spinach, Tetragon, and Kokihi. In the modern day, New Zealand spinach is commercially grown in select regions worldwide and planted in home gardens as a heat and drought-tolerant species.