A unique and tasty veggie you may want to consider growing in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
If you want something special that isn’t fussy in the garden, try growing common ice plant. It’s one of those veggies that chefs love because it makes a unique addition to the restaurant menu. Also known salty ice plant and crystalline iceplant, the ‘salt ice plant’ gets its name from specialized, translucent cells that form on the outside of the plant. They are the little hairs called trichomes that form on most plants, but they look like they are filled with water on the plant. The leaves and stems have a fresh, salty flavor. You can also make a soap substitute from the leaves. In some states, salty ice plant is considered invasive and is banned. Check to see if ice plant is legal in your area before planting.
Because it can take over a garden, consider growing common ice plants in large containers in a greenhouse or outside where they get full sun. Container growing helps keep ice plant under control.
Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.