This is from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden (www.bbg.org
Malabar spinach is a hot-weather, red-stemmed spinach. Easy to grow, versatile in the kitchen, and delicious to eat. This vigorous vine is unrelated to true spinach but produces abundant large meaty leaves that are remarkably spinachlike in taste and form.
GLAD this was brought up -- NOW I'll have to try it (next year.)
I guess I've kind of mixed up where to put some info on my experience with Malabar spinach. I've just written this over on that chain-link fence thread:
"I've grown Malabar spinach over the last few years but will forego it in 2009.
I've had to start it in the greenhouse, and then move it into a plastic tunnel. It wasn't actually "outside" until well into June - all that, to keep the thing growing with adequate warmth. It is just a little too tropical for here."
Should do well in South Carolina, don't you think? May need some frame rearing if its wanted early, but by summer it should be plenty happy. Sound good?
Park Seed Company (www.parkseed.com) has it for $1.75/per 50 for 2 packs. It gets cheaper the more you buy, too! Ive always thought Park was pretty complete and the prices not exhorbitant.
One of the coolest things about Park Seed is it's 'bout an hour north of here in Greenwood, SC. I visited there once when I first moved here, and it was impressive. I need to make another trip.