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What Greens to Grow When It Gets Hot

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Jonathon Engels, a long-time vegetarian turned vegan, is currently on a trip from Guatemala to... Read More

In the summertime, with the weather at its hottest, is when a cool, refreshing, leafy salad is probably most appealing. For supermarket shoppers, this is no great issue: We can buy salad greens by the pre-washed bag any time of year. However, when growing salad greens in the garden, summer makes things complicated.

Greens, as we generally know them, the kales, spinaches, cabbages, and lettuces of the world, like cool weather. By the end of spring, these greens are usually bolting and on their way out of the garden. It’s a tragedy, really. Just as cucumbers and tomatoes are about to appear in abundance, we’ve got no greens to pair them with.

Well, the following greens may feel a little unconventional at first, but they are flavorful and fresh all summer long, no matter how hot it gets. Plus, it can be fun to try something new or different.

Amaranth

Many of us a familiar with amaranth as an ancient grain, something similar to quinoa. This is the same plant as the amaranth, only it can also be cultivated for its delicious greens. Referred to as callaloo in the Caribbean, it’s often cooked, but it can be eaten raw as a salad green.

Jewels of Opar

Within summer greens, there are many that are succulent or have a little mucilage. Jewels of Opar is one, though to a lesser extent than Malabar spinach and purslane (to come on the list). It also has a beautiful flower display and colorful seedpods.

Lambsquarter

Considered a weed by most gardeners, lambsquarter actually has delicious and high nutritious leaves that sub in well as salad greens. They can actually grow into six-foot-tall plants that are nearly as wide. The leaves also work very well as a basil substitute for a pesto-like dish.

Malabar Spinach

Not at all related to actual spinach, Malabar spinach is often used as a substitute in hotter climates where spinach doesn’t grow. Malabar spinach is a vining plant that can get quite tall, and the leaves are succulent, with a notable amount of mucilage that can take some getting used to.

Moringa

Commonly noted as a superfood, moringa has a host of vitamins and minerals in abundance. It’s actually a tree native to India, and though it can survive outside in cold climates, it grows quickly enough to provide food as an annual in the garden. Its leaves are small with a spicy, nutty flavor. They can also be dried and ground into powder for nutrient-boosting in soups and smoothies.

Okra

Okra is commonly grown for its pods, which are key to many Indian dishes and Louisiana gumbo. However, the plant okra is part of the hibiscus family, which has many—caution: not all—members with edible leaves. Okra leaves are palatable both edible and raw, and they have a similar thickening power in stews and soups as okra pods.

Purslane

Another plant that is commonly thought of as a weed, purslane is delicious and grows well in the heat. It’s also succulent, though the leaves are small enough not to be slimy and, in fact, have a bit of crunch. This is a great accent leaf in salads and is a wonderful source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Sorrel

There are many types of edible sorrel, so this can take some sorting out. However, wild sorrel—the weed—is edible, sour and lovely, and will readily grow in gardens (to many a gardener’s chagrin). There is also a cultivated sorrel that survives in the summer heat.

Sweet Potato

Another crop more commonly grown for something else, sweet potato plants actually have edible leaves—a lot of them. Sweet potato vines can maddeningly take over a garden, so isn’t it nice to know we could be eating them! Sweet potato leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.

Sylvetta Arugula

While arugula, the annual plant, will bolt at the slightest warm wind, Sylvetta arugula, a perennial plant, only starts to appear when warm winds arrive. Then, it thrives through the hotter months. The leaves aren’t quite as substantial as annual arugula, but they taste and smell the same.

There are definitely some loose-leaf lettuces that will tolerate hotter weather, such as Cherokee purple and speckled bib. There are also some other warm “spinaches”—Brazilian and New Zealand—that are available. Different types of hibiscus—cranberry and rose of Jamaica—have good salad leaves. And, lots of big-leafed summertime herbs, such as lemon balm and basil, play well as salad greens. In other words, salads are still on the menu!