''Atriplex hortensis'', known as garden orache, red orache or simply

orache ''Atriplex'' () is a plant genus of about 250 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache (; also spelled orach). It belongs to the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae ''s.l.''. The genus is quite variable and w ...

(; also spelled orach), mountain spinach, French spinach, or arrach, is a species of plant in the amaranth family used as a

leaf vegetable Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

that was common before

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

and still grown as a warm-weather alternative to that crop. (For many years, it was classified in the goosefoot family, but it has now been absorbed into the Amaranthaceae.) It is

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

n, native to Asia and Europe, and widely naturalized in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Description

''Atriplex hortensis'' is a hardy

annual plant An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...

, with an erect, branching stem. It varies in height from two to six feet, according to the variety and soil. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are variously shaped, but somewhat oblong, comparatively thin, and slightly acidic to the taste. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are small and obscure, greenish or reddish, corresponding to a degree with the color of the foliage of the plant. The

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s are small, black, surrounded by a thin, pale-yellow membrane, and they retain their viability for three years. There are varieties with red, white and green leaves.

Use and cultivation

''Atriplex hortensis'' has a salty,

-like taste. The leaves are used cooked or raw in

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

s. The green leaves were once used to color

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. A common use of the plant is to balance out the acidic flavor of

sorrel Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...

. It was commonly grown in Mediterranean regions from early times, until spinach became the more favored leaf vegetable. It is commonly grown as a warm-weather alternative to spinach because it is more tolerant of heat and slower to bolt in warm weather.Cornell University Gardening Growing Guide
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Gallery

File:Atriplexhortensis1.jpg, alt=red mountain spinach, ''Atriplex hortensis'' var. ''rubra'' File:Neuchâtel Herbarium - Atriplex hortensis - NEU000004323.jpg, alt=pressed specimen of mountain spinach, Dried, pressed specimen from the

University of Neuchâtel The University of Neuchâtel (UniNE) is a French-speaking university based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The university has four faculties (schools) and more than a dozen institutes, including arts and human sciences, natural sciences, law and eco ...

File:Atriplex hortensis sl20.jpg, alt=red flower of mountain spinach, Inflorescence with predominantly male flowers

References

{{Authority control hortensis Flora of Asia Leaf vegetables Flora of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus