The leaf beet group consists of cultivars such as Swiss chard and beet spinach that are grown for their edible leafy greens. The group includes annual and biennial vegetables in the Amaranthaceae (amaranth) family with origins in the Mediterranean region and Europe. These cultivars do best in full sun to partial shade, as well as moist, rich, well-drained soil. The plants require a pH level of 6.0 to 8.0. They grow fastest in the cool temperatures of spring and fall, although they continue to produce leaves through summer. They are tough plants that can tolerate some heat, humidity, and drought, although they stop growing without adequate moisture. The biennials in this group do not produce flowers until their second year and therefore have no risk of bolting from heat. Unlike the common beet, these plants do not grow a swollen root. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, but the thick stalks are best eaten after cooking. Harvest leaves and stalks only as needed since the plants do not last long in the refrigerator. Although maturity rates vary among cultivars, baby leaves can be harvested in roughly 30 days and mature leaves in 60. Harvest the larger, outside leaves first to encourage new leaves to grow. These leafy greens are at home in drought-tolerant or edible gardens. Directly sow seeds in the garden or start seeds indoors and transplant to the garden four weeks later. Their colorful stems make them attractive in ornamental beds, along walkways, and border fronts. They also grow well in containers, doing best in a minimum size of 2 quarts and a depth of 8 inches. Click here to see a calendar of planting schedules, time-to-harvest, and recommended spacing. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. VIDEO Created by Homegrown featuring Bill Lord , former Area Specialized Agent for NC State Extension
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheBeta vulgaris Garden Beet GroupDaucus carota subsp. sativusLactuca sativa
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange; Pink; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Edible; Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
While clumps of leaves are green, Swiss Chard can feature midribs and petioles that are white, orange, yellow, red, or pink. Leaves are large 15"-24" long with ruffled edges and some puckering on larger leaves.
Flower color
Green; Insignificant
Flower form
Insignificant; Spike
Flower detail
Green, non-showy spikes of flowers appear in the plant's second year. Spikes can rise as tall as 4'.
Stem color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Pink; Red/Burgundy; White
Stem detail
Colorful edible stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Mediterranean, Europe
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Edibility
Leaves and stalks can be harvested and eaten. Harvest only as needed as they do not keep long in the fridge.