Our Tropical Soil

Introducing the Longevity Spinach

Longevity spinach is a tropical trailing plant with edible leaves. The plant is also called “Sabuñgai” or “Sambung Nyawa.” It belongs to the Asteraceae family and is native to Southeast Asia. Gardeners in different tropical regions across the world grow this plant, and recently it has gained popularity with U.S. gardeners.

Longevity spinach stem with roots growing all along the stem.

Growth Habit of Plant

The longevity spinach is a perennial trailing vine. The stems are green and snap easily when bent. As the plant gets older the base becomes thicker and turns brown in color. The leaves have an opposite pattern and the older ones can reach around 6 inches long. The edge of the leaves has insignificant serrations that are barely noticeable. As the stem trails along the ground roots will grow into the soil from any part of the stem. Due to this, I think the plant makes a great ground cover.  

Longevity spinach growing as a ground cover in a mini food forest.

If the plant is left to trail along the ground it will only reach a height of 1-2 feet and the stems itself will grow 15-20 feet long. If there are nearby supports the stems might rest on them, but it will not reach a great height on a support without help. In South Florida, the spinach grows incredibly fast during the warmer months, but during the cooler months the growth is quite slow. Pruning your longevity spinach plant can be beneficial when the growth is so vigorous. I have also pruned all the stems from my plants before and the plant regrows very well.

Growth Habit of Flower and Fruit

I have yet to see my longevity spinach plants flower. However, they do apparently produce orange blooms during the cooler months in Florida. I do not know if this plant produces fruit with viable seeds or wether it is dioecious or monoecious. If you know more about this I’d very much appreciate a comment elaborating on the flowers and fruit of the longevity spinach. 

Growing Conditions

This perennial leafy green is a tropical plant, growing best in zones 9-11, and therefore is not cold hardy. It prefers fertile soil that is kept moist. It can grow well in full sun to part shade, which makes it a great ground cover plant for a food forest understory. The longevity spinach is incredibly vigerous here in South Florida and needs little to no care. I have not tried it myself, but I believe it can do well in a pot if the plant is kept small through pruning. Some people prefer to grow longevity spinach up a support, and that can be done by tying the plant to the support. However, I personally feel if you have the space it is much easier to grow this plant as a ground cover instead.

Gardeners in colder climates can grow this plant as an annual. When the weather starts getting colder you can take cuttings, root them in pots, and bring the plants indoors. Once the weather is warm enough you can plant the spinach outside in the ground. I am not sure, but I think that it might be possible to grow this plant as a perennial in cool regions where the ground doesn’t freeze. I have seen longevity spinach grow back from only one small rooted stem that was left in the ground. With adequate insulation, provided by mulch or something similar) the stems could survive a mild winter, and the plants could grow back during the summer. 

A cutting of longevity spinach with leaves removed and ready to plant.

Propagation of Longevity Spinach

I have no knowledge of longevity spinach being propagated sexually because I am not sure if the plant even produces seeds. To propagate this spinach asexually you can take cuttings from the plant and root them in water or soil. I am not sure wether younger or older stems are best for cuttings. The second option is to take a rooted stem from an established plant and then plant it in another location. With the second option the plant will be established much quicker since there are already roots present. 

Pests

I have experienced very minor pest issues with my longevity spinach plants. There has been insect damage to the leaves before, which I believe is due to beetles eating the leaves at night. I have also seen some aphids on stressed plants. Lack of airflow can be an issue when growing it as a ground cover, which can promote fungal growth. If you find fungal growth then you can prune your plant back and let it regrow. As it regrows you might need to prune it to prevent the plant from becoming so dense again. 

In this image you can see the insignificant serrations on the leaves.

Uses for Longevity Spinach

Harvesting can be done while simultaneously pruning your plant. Your first option is to pinch off the tips of the stems for tender leaves. This type of harvesting encourages lateral stems to grow. Your second option is to prune off a long stem and then remove the mature leaves off of that stem. I personally prefer the first option because it is easier and encourages new growth. 

Example of longevity spinach harvest from pinching off the tips of the stems.

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and young stems can be eaten cooked. If you are eating it raw it is best to eat the young leaves since they are tender. To cook longevity spinach you can steam, boil, or sauté it. The leaves hold their shape and texture well after being cooked. Personally, I find the flavor of this green to be a bit strong, so I find it is best to add it to soups. I have also juiced longevity spinach leaves and frozen the juice in an ice tray. Once frozen, I stored the blocks in a container and would add the frozen juice to smoothies. 

Have you had the chance to eat longevity spinach? Are you growing this plant already? Let me know down below in the comments! You can learn more about other perennial leafy greens here and below you can watch a video of my garden where I had longevity spinach growing. Here you can purchase seeds for different tropical plants.