Green Orach Seeds (Atriplex hortensis)

This hardy, annual salad green was first documented in the New World by John Lawson, Surveyor General of North Carolina, in his History of Carolina (1714). Along with the red-leaved form, orach was listed by Bernard McMahon in his American Gardener’s Calendar (1806) and Thomas Jefferson cultivated Green Orach yearly for its edible leaves, which are tasty when young. It grows 3-5 feet tall and makes an ornamental addition to the kitchen garden.

Direct sow seeds in loose, well-drained soil early in the spring, as soon as the soil can be worked, and harvest the young leaves like spinach. Orach is cold and heat tolerant, so make successive sowings every 2-3 weeks until mid-summer. Approximately 100-120 seeds per packet.