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Blitum - (L.)Asch.

Common Name Strawberry Blite, Blite goosefoot
Family Chenopodiaceae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238].
Habitats Rubbish tips etc in Britain[17].
Range Europe. A rare casual in Britain[17].
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (1 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Full sun
Blitum Strawberry Blite, Blite goosefoot


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Blitum_capitatum0.jpg
Blitum Strawberry Blite, Blite goosefoot
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ram-Man

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Blitum is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Blitum capitatum.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[27, 106]. Used like spinach[2], they are a good source of vitamins C and A[257]. The young leaves are best[85, 172, 183]. Poor quality[74]. The raw leaves have been used in salad mixtures[257], but should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 27, 172]. An insipid but sweet flavour[85], they can be added to salads[183]. The fruit is about 12mm in diameter[200]. A red food colouring can be obtained from the fruit[74, 99, 172, 183]. Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a meal and mixed with cereal flours in making bread etc[161, 172]. The seed is small and fiddly, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


The plant has been used as a lotion for treating black eyes and head bruises[257]. The juice of the seeds and an infusion of the plant has been used to treat lung congestion[257].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[168]. A red dye is obtained from the fruit, it is used in cosmetics and as a paint[46, 257].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade[1, 200]. It prefers a moderately fertile soil[200]. A very ornamental plant[74], strawberry blite has at times been cultivated for its edible leaves[61].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ. Most of the seed usually germinates within a few days of sowing.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada (Northwest Territories, Yukon, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan), United States (Alaska, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Amaranthus blitumSlender Amaranth, Purple amaranthAnnual1.0 4-8  LMHNM422

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

(L.)Asch.

Botanical References

200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

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