Care Guide | Okinawa Spinach

If you’re looking for a leafy green that loves warm weather and adds a little color to your garden, meet Okinawa Spinach! 🌿 Gynura crepioides is an easy-to-grow perennial that makes a great addition to edible gardens and can even be used as a groundcover. Its shiny green leaves have beautiful purple undersides and a spicy, lemon-pepper flavor that makes them a unique addition to salads and stir-fries.

Characteristics

Okinawa Spinach is a tough, fast-growing subtropical perennial that thrives in warm environments. It grows as a spreading groundcover and can be harvested repeatedly throughout the growing season. Its leaves are approximately 1.5–3 inches long.

Overview

🏷️ Scientific Name: Gynura crepioides
📊 Classification: Subtropical perennial leafy green
📍 Origin: Okinawa, Japan
🗺️ USDA Hardiness Zones: 8b–11
📏 Height Potential: 1 foot
🏡 Planting: Outdoors or containers
☀️ Light: Full to part sun
💧 Soil/Watering: Average watering needs; well-drained soil
🍴 Fertilizer: Regular feeding during active growth
✂️ Pruning: Regular harvesting encourages new growth
❄️ Cold Weather Care: May die back to the ground in freezing weather
🥬 Harvesting: Harvest leaves regularly                                                                                       
🕷️ Common Pests: Aphids, snails/slugs
🐈 Toxic to Pets? Non-conclusive if safe or not

Scientific Name

Gynura crepioides belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is commonly known as Okinawa Spinach. Despite its common name, it isn't actually a true spinach. Instead, it is a subtropical leafy green that can be used as a spinach substitute in salads and cooked dishes.

Classification

Okinawa Spinach is a tender, herbaceous perennial with a spreading growth habit. It makes an excellent edible groundcover and can be harvested regularly throughout the growing season.

Origin

Okinawa Spinach is associated with Okinawa, Japan, and thrives in subtropical growing conditions. Its ability to tolerate heat makes it a useful leafy green for warm-climate gardens.

USDA Hardiness Zones

Okinawa Spinach grows best in Zones 8b–11, where winters are mild and freezing temperatures are less common. Okinawa Spinach does not tolerate cold temperatures. Freezing weather may cause the plant to die back to the ground, but it will usually return when warm weather returns.

Height Potential

Okinawa Spinach can reach approximately 1 foot tall and has a spreading growth habit.

Planting

Okinawa Spinach can be planted directly in the garden, in raised beds, or in containers. When planting multiple plants, make sure to give them enough room to spread.

Light

Okinawa Spinach grows well in full sun to partial sun. For the best growth, provide plenty of bright light while protecting the plant from prolonged exposure to extreme conditions.

Soil/Watering

Okinawa Spinach has average watering needs and prefers soil that drains well. Water regularly, especially while your plant is becoming established. Allow the soil to remain moist between waterings without keeping it constantly soggy or waterlogged.

Fertilizer

A balanced fertilizer or fertilizer formulated for leafy greens can help support healthy foliage production. We recommend 10–30–20.

Pruning & Harvesting

The easiest way to prune Okinawa Spinach is simply to harvest it! Harvest individual leaves regularly or trim back the growing stems to encourage fresh growth and keep the plant compact.

Cold Weather Care

Okinawa Spinach is a subtropical plant that tolerates hot temperatures but does not tolerate freezing temperatures. Freezing weather may cause the plant to die back to the ground. Don't worry if this happens! Okinawa Spinach will usually return when warm weather comes back.

In colder climates, growing Okinawa Spinach in a container allows you to move the plant to a protected location during cold weather.

Common Pests

Okinawa Spinach is generally a tough and easy-care plant, but like other leafy greens, it can occasionally attract common garden pests, like aphids or snails. Treat infestations of aphids with neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Toxic to Pets?

Research seems non-conclusive on whether Okinawa is toxic to pets or not. To be on the safe side, be cautious with it because large amounts ingested could be toxic to pets.

After Arrival Care

Please give your plant a little TLC after its journey through the mail 📬. Here are a few steps we recommend:

  • Unwrap immediately to provide fresh air to the plant and soil.
  • Wait a few days before exposing to full sunlight so your plant can adjust after being in a dark box for several days.
  • Always protect from heat and cold because temperature extremes can be stressful or deadly for plants.
  • Water. Your baby plant may be parched and even a little wilted but thorough hydration will help it recover.
  • Grow out in a larger pot to increase your chances of success—i.e., a quarter gallon—Then transplant to the ground or the next pot size up once the roots fill to the bottom. This will help the plant get sufficient water and nutrients directly to the roots.

Learn more in our After Arrival Care Guide. 

Repotting

We highly recommend growing your baby plant out in a larger pot 🪴 to increase your chances of success 🏆. Repotting helps focus the water and nutrients directly towards the roots. If the pot is too large or if your baby is planted in the ground, the water and nutrients have more room to spread to the wrong places where they aren’t needed. This can be extra detrimental to a baby plant that needs all the support it can get as it’s growing up.

You don’t have to repot immediately, but the sooner you do, the more room it has to grow. 

Here are some general repotting tips:

  • Start with a pot that's 1-2 inches larger in diameter than the starter-sized pot it came in. A pint or quart would be great.
  • Transplant to the next pot size up once the roots fill to the bottom.

Learn more in our Repotting Guide. 

Grow Your Own Salad

Start or continue growing your Salad collection with Wellspring Gardens.

Happy planting! 🪴