Consuming all types of spinach is good for your health. They pack a lot of vitamins and minerals and are low in calories, which makes them a good addition to your diet.
So, let us read on to know some varieties of these leafy greens.
1. Savoy
There are three basic types of spinach, namely savoy, semi-savoy, and flat-leafed varieties.
Savoy spinach refers to the type that features beautiful deep wavy leaves coming in dark green color. They have several kinds of shapes.
The shapes are round, oval, oblong, or even heart-shaped. Then, the crinkled texture makes it hard to clean.
These types of spinach are native to Persia. They can thrive well in USDA zones 6 to 9, and grow up to 5 or 6 inches long.
These curly plants like to live in cool temperature, which is less than 80-degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, they will begin to bolt.
Savoy spinach is not fussy at all. You just need to prepare the soil. It has to be a well-draining one with plenty of organic matter. Sow the seed in as soon spring or fall comes.
Do not forget to hold the weeds at bay. Keeping the soil moderately moist is also essential. To achieve these goals, you can try applying compost.
Besides, it will release the good nutrients needed by the plants.
The leaves of savoy spinach offer a robust, earthy sensation. However, they become bitter when getting older.
Therefore, you had better use the young ones they tend to be tender, which is perfect for your salads and sandwiches.
Related: How To Grow Spinach in a Pot, How To Grow Spinach without seeds
2. Semi-Savoy
This variety is a hybrid between two different types of spinach, resulting in slightly crinkle and straight leaves. The texture of semi-savoy cultivars is easy to clean.
Many people grow semi-savoy spinach at home because they resist many health problems. However, the leaves offer a bitter taste.
Therefore, you had better cook them rather than eating them raw in your sandwich.
So, what is the health benefit of semi-savoy spinach? Just like other types of spinach, this variety is high in vitamin K, which is good for your bone health, increase its density, and reduce fractures.
It contains potassium that helps your heart and kidneys to function normally. Semi-savoy spinach consists of dietary fiber that maintains bowel health.
3. Smooth-Leafed Spinach Types of spinach
Smooth-leafed varieties are the best types of spinach that you should add to your salads.
As the name suggests, the leaves of this cultivar are not as crinkled as savoy and semi-savoy, making them extremely easy to clean.
Besides being easy to clean, this spinach offers you a sweet and mild flavor.
However, you can get the best taste if you pick the leaves when they are still young. No wonder this variety becomes the most popular one in the USA.
4. Bloomsdale – Types of Savoy Spinach
Bloomsdale belongs to one of the varieties of savoy spinach. It features long, curly dark green leaves with puckers in the areas where they meet the stems.
The leaves offer you a sweet flavor with either succulent or wintergreen texture. You can cook them for longer periods without worrying whether you will ruin the shape and crispiness.
Bloomsdale’s leaves are ideal for wilting and sautéing, just like the way you use kale, chards, and collards. Add garlic, onion, dried fruits, beef, citrus, or poultry to enrich the flavor.
You can also try complementing them with chilies, cheeses, nuts, pomegranate seeds, or eggs.
Just like any other cultivars, Bloomsdale spinach loads with good nutrients. It contains more beta-carotene than broccoli does.
Besides, it is also an excellent source of antioxidants, lutein, fiber, iron, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, carbohydrates, and protein.
To get the best nutritional value, you should eat raw or lightly cook it.
This variety is available in winter through late spring. You can also find it from late summer to fall. Store your Bloomsdale spinach cultivars in the fridge only after you dry them thoroughly.
If you are going to consume them, rinse them very well.
5. Hammerhead – Types of Savoy Spinach
Hammerhead belongs to savoy spinach. The leaves are round, cupped, insignificantly elongated, and come in medium to dark green hues.
These types of spinach are suitable for spring, winter, and fall. Besides, they are a kind of plant that is resistant to mildew.
They also have a moderately fast growth rate. You do not need to wait for so long because they reach their maturity within 27 days.
Hammerhead spinach is rich in fiber which can improve bowel health and control blood sugar. In addition to being nutritious, this variety is also tasty.
People usually add it to their salads or even lightly cook it to get a better flavor without compromising the nutritional value.
6. Palco – Types of Savoy Spinach
Palco also belongs to savoy spinach. Therefore, the leaves come in spoon-like, deeply curled shape with medium to dark green color hues.
These types of spinach are renowned for being hardy. Therefore, they are worth growing in your vegetable garden.
Palco can put up with both low and high temperatures, meaning you can enjoy it anytime despite the climates and seasons. It is also resistant to bolt, making the maintenance less painful.
Although these types of spinach are available in any season, you had better use them for spring or fall crops.
They can thrive quite well in a crowded vegetable garden. But if you are dealing with limited space, you can grow them in a container.
You can harvest Palco spinach in 38 days. However, you can also pick it even if it is not mature yet.
This variety is the safe bet for your home garden because it is not fussy about the humidity and rain.
7. Regiment – Types of Semy-Savoy Spinach
Regiment belongs to semi-savoy spinach. The leaves are beautiful and thick with a bit triangular shape. They are dark green and grow upright.
This variety is suitable for your home garden because it is long-lasting and vigorous. It has a quite fast growth rate because it reaches its maturity in 37 days, so you can harvest the leaves soon.
Most importantly, it is resistant to bolt and downy mildew.
Since it is one of the fast-growing types of spinach and resistant to bolt and mildew, it can thrive well in a typical vegetable garden from early spring to fall.
Dutch-bred Regiment is quite versatile. You can prepare it in various kinds of ways while maintaining the delicious taste and crispy texture.
Try sautéing or braising the spinach to make soups or pasta. The texture of the leaves can hold up various kinds of preparation.
As the rule of thumb, serving the leaves fresh and eating them raw will retain the nutritional value. Therefore, adding them to your salad will be your greatest bet.
8. Malabar
This variety is unique because it is not spinach whatsoever. Malabar and this leafy green do not even share the same taste. In fact, they are not closely related.
Raw Malabar features fleshy, thick leaves that taste a bit like citrus and pepper with some juicy and crisp sensation.
However, if you cook it, you will find the flavor of regular spinach. It does not wilt quickly when exposed to heat so that you can stir-fry it.
Malabar (Basella alba or ruba) is an easy-to-grow variety. However, it is not similar to other types of spinach.
This cultivar grows in the form of vines. Therefore, you need to provide a trellis or anything that can allow the plant to climb.
This plant is very invasive especially if it lives in an area with a warm climate, which is approximately 900F or above.
However, it is not a big deal. You can control it by growing it in a container, and kindly pull up the spreading vines.
Related: How to Grow Hydroponic Spinach 4 Easy Tips
9. Red Spinach
This beautiful spinach will add a subtle nuance to your vegetable garden. The combination of medium to deep green leaves with maroon veins and red stems has given this variety a distinctive charm.
The leaves have an oval to slightly oblong shape with a rounded arrowhead tip. Once they are fully mature, they will turn into semi-savoy spinach that offers you a chewy texture.
Red spinach is also renowned for the sweet, earthy texture that distinguishes it from the green varieties apart from the color.
People usually pick the red spinach cultivars when they are baby leaves or microgreens. Some may also leave them until it is fully mature, though.
These types of spinach will spruce up your salad. Besides, Africans use them as traditional medicine to cure gastric problems.
The leaves are also good for your skin and hair. These varieties can also improve digestion and kidney function, treat cancer, and aid in weight loss.
10. Red Kitten – Varieties of Red spinach
Red Kitten is one of the varieties of Red spinach. When it is young, it has smooth, broad oval leaves that attach to slender and fibrous stems. As it is getting mature, they will become more crinkled.
The dark green leaves feature patches of red-purple that you can find across the surface. Dark red veins connect them with the crunchy and firm stems.
Red Kitten is a great addition to your home garden because it grows fast and available all year round especially in summer through early winter. Besides, it is adaptable in various types of climates.
These types of spinach are quite versatile. You can cook them in many culinary applications. Try using the baby spinach to add more flavor to your salads. The mature leaves taste great for soups.
Red Kitten offers a chewy texture with a sweet and earthy flavor when you consume the leaves raw.
This variety also packs good nutrients, such as fiber that helps you regulate digestion, folate, iron, and calcium. The green ones contain vitamin A and C, and antioxidants.
11. Space
Space cultivars are the types of spinach that feature spoon-shaped, dark green leaves. They also have round edges with a smooth surface.
This spinach grows upright, holding up the leaves off the ground. No wonder they stay clean.
The leaves have a meaty texture that will add unique flavor to any dish. Both the baby leaf spinach and the full size taste great.
If you are going to grow this spinach at home, but do not have enough space, you can cultivate the plant in a large pot. It typically matures in 45 days for early spring and late fall.
The good thing about this variety is it is resistant to many types of downy mildew and Cladosporium leaf spot.
12. Carmel – Types of Semi-savoy spinach
Carmel cultivars are the types of spinach that belong to semi savoy variety with upright leaves. They are extremely resistant to many types of downy mildew.
This variety is excellent for fall planting. Try sowing 10 seeds per foot in rows. Do not forget to give them some space about 12 to 18 inches apart so that the leaves can reach their full size.
Sow the seeds directly in spring. You can also do it in mid-to-late summer to obtain fall harvest.
Ensure that they stay in protected structures. You also need to make sure that the soil pH has to be 6.5 to 7.5 because your spinach will not thrive well below 6.0.
For a simultaneous supply, sow the seeds every 7 days. You can harvest the spinach at 3 to 5 weeks if you want to enjoy the baby leaves.
13. New Zealand Spinach
New Zealand spinach, also known as Tetragonia, is a variety that tends to keep producing throughout the hot summer periods.
This variety is different from the regular ones that are prone to bolt and slow-leaf production when high temperatures hit.
However, New Zealand spinach is frost tender. It will immediately die when the temperatures drop. Therefore, you should sow the seeds outdoors once all danger of frost has gone.
New Zealand spinach loves to live in well-draining soil. But a slightly sandy one with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 would be better.
14. Flamingo Spinach
Flamingo variety is a hybrid that is renowned for being cold hardy and resistant to bolt. It has dark green leaves attached on long stems that keep them away from the soil.
The arrowhead leaves offer you a delectable flavor with a crunchy texture.
What is the best way to eat spinach?
The best way to eat spinach is to cook it and eat it with your favorite meal. You should make sure that you wash it first to remove dirt and grease. You can even use it in salads or soups or even better you can also :
- Steam: Remove stems and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Boil: Drop spinach leaves in boiling water until wilted.
- Sauté: Drop spinach leaves in hot oil or butter.
Spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables. It has very few calories and provides lots of vitamins and nutrients. It also helps us stay healthy.
Conclusion
Those are some different types of spinach that you need to know. Whatever the cultivar is, they still pack a lot of good nutrients that can keep you healthy.
Spinach is actually a family of plants that includes both leafy greens and vegetables such as beetroot, broccoli, kale, chard, and kohlrabi. It’s the edible parts of the plant which have been cultivated since the Neolithic period. Other vegetables belonging to the genus Brassica include cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. The spinach group contains more than 80 genera and over 1000 species.