Chaya, also known as 'tree spinach', is a very easy-to-grow leafy green vegetable that grows on stalks as a nutritious and delicious perennial plant.  There are two main varieties, wild and cultivated.   Wild chaya has thorns that sting.  Both cultivated and wild chaya have a sticky white sap that can cause itchy skin for some.  Harvesting by wearing a plastic bag or glove helps.  Ask your friends and neighbors for a few stems, or ask on this page to meet up with folks who have chaya stems to share. 

To grow:  Find a sunny spot close to your house.  This makes it easier to harvest when you are making dinner.  Pull the weeds from the planting area and with a spade or shovel loosen the soil to at least 12 inches deep and 12 inches across.  Cut a few stems of chaya at least 12 inches long.  Plant each stem at least 6 inches deep and water well each day until leaves sprout from the sticks.  Then, water about once a week if there is no rain; be careful not to overwater.  Plants sprout leaves for harvest in a few weeks.  Once chaya is growing, beware; plants can grow to be 20', so be sure to prune the chaya before the tops grow too tall for you to reach, generally 6-8' in height.  Pruned tops of plants can be deleafed and planted around your garden or shared with family and friends.

Recipe: Pick a handful of chaya leaves, using gloves or a plastic bag over your hands if you are sensitive to the sap.  Rinse, then cut the leaves into 1/2 inch slices with a knife or scissors.  Gently boil or steam the leaves for a few minutes until tender; add them to any recipe that calls for greens, such as stir fries or soups  Once cooled, the leaves can be added as a 'smoothie' ingredient.

Chaya must be cooked to release the cyanogenic glycosides.  Information on the internet recommends cooking chaya for 5 -20 minutes. It seems 5 minutes is adequate for steaming or boiling the leaves.

Health benefits of chaya include: rich in protein, iron, vitamin A, fiber and calcium. The Chaya plant flowers attract bees and butterflies.