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Super low maintenance perennial leaf vegetable, groundcover and houseplant, all in one!A new type of “spinach”, Okinawa spinach is not a true spinach, but a perennial leafy green, Gynura crepioides. Native to Indonesia, it doubles as an ornamental and edible plant, forming a dense, non-vining groundcover in full sun or partial shade. Adaptable to tropical climates it requires little, if any, maintenance. The leaves have a handsome purplish underside and are heat resistant. As a food, it makes a nice addition to salads, and the leaves and young shoots may also be steamed or used in stir-fries or tempura, soups and stews. It makes a great spinach substitute, both the stems and the leaves may be eaten raw or cooked. This green vegetable is also known as “cholesterol spinach”, and may help lower cholesterol. The leaves have a crisp, nutty taste with a faint hint of pine, and are best consumed when young. In cooler areas grow Okinawa spinach as a house plant in a sunny window. Trim the leaves as you need them. ‘Okinawa Spinach’ also makes and excellent and attractive patio plant, outside in the summer, indoors in the winter. In Japan, this bicolor vegetable is called “Handama”, “Suizenjigusa” and “Okinawa Spinach”. It is grown commercially as a vegetable in China.