Amaranthus spinosus

The leaves and stems of Amaranthus spinosus are eaten raw or cooked as a spinach. Remove the spines in older plants. Seed are easy to harvest and very nutritious. A native of tropical America and is found mainly in warm areas. Common names include: calaloo;needle burr;pigweed;prickly calaloo;prickly callau;prickly caterpillar;spiny amaranthus;spiny calaloo;spiny pigweed;sticker weed;thorny pigweed;wild callau. Spanish: bledo de espina;quelite espinoso. French: amarante épineuse;blette épineuse;brèche de Malabar;epinard malabre. Chinese: tsz-hsien.

Amaranthus spinosus is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m by 0.2 m .
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from April to October, in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is monoecious and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light , medium and heavy soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions.