[newChickenMummy]

Hi there,

I bought some orach (mountain spinach) seeds last year but didn't use them. My husband put them in this year and it has grown like wildfire but it looks like a weed and tastes horrid, just very green if you see what I mean, not like spinach at all.

I've attached a couple of photos, done anyone know if this is indeed mountain spinach and not just some weed that has taken over lol?

Cheers
Liz

[DD.]

That looks like "Fat Hen".

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/fathen.htm

[arugula]

From comparison against google images, it looks much like it. Wikipedia says it has a salty flavour, so I imagine it might taste a bit like samphire?

[arugula]

That look like "Fat Hen".

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/fathen.htm

What does fat hen taste like then?

[DD.]

I only said it looks like it.

[prakash_mib]

it is a relative of spinach
I was chatting to neighbour at his plot and I casually pulled the fat hen from the middle of his broad bean patch.
He thanked and told me that they used to eat fat hen until recently!

[newChickenMummy]

Looks exactly like that! Should I pull it up? Just seems like a bit of a coincidence that its growing only on the patch of ground where hubby planted the orach??

[arugula]

Just seems like a bit of a coincidence that its growing only on the patch of ground where hubby planted the orach??

Weeds will often grow alongside or amongst other plants and mimic their appearance as best as possible to avoid detection.

[newChickenMummy]

Yeah I think I'll pull it up just to be safe, it tastes horrid so even if it is orach I don't want to eat it. I'll give it to the chickens they will enjoy a bit of fat hen

Thanks for your help