Jerusalem oak leaf goosefoot (Chenopodium botrys)

Family: Chenopodiaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Chenopodium botrys is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Leaves - cooked. A popular vegetable (the report does not say where!). The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Seed - cooked. — A popular vegetable (the report does not say where!).; The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity.; It can be ground into a meal and used with flour in making bread etc.; The seed is small and fiddly, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.

Habitat & North American Range

Waste places, roadsides and disturbed soil in eastern N. America. Valleys, river terraces, around houses and roadsides in Tibet. (Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)