How to Grow the Sweet Leaf Plant in Queensland [Sauropus androgynus]
I’m thrilled to share some gardening tips with you all on how to grow the sweet leaf plant right here in sunny Queensland. If you’re keen on having a never-ending supply of fresh and healthy greens in your backyard, the sweet leaf plant (Sauropus androgynus), is the way to go!
So, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Introduction to the Sweet Leaf Plant
Sweet Leaf (Sauropus androgynus), is a popular leaf vegetable that is widely consumed in various cuisines. It has upright stems with dark-green, oval-shaped leaves and small, red flowers. The leaves have a nutty flavour that might remind you of fresh green peas, making them a great choice for salads, stir-fries, and other dishes.
The Sweet Leaf plant offers a range of nutritional benefits. It is rich in protein, fiber, and essential vitamins such as A, B, and C. It also contains an array of minerals including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.
How to Grow Sweet Leaf
Sweet Leaf is well-adapted to the warm and humid climate in Queensland. It’s a great choice for tropical and subtropical regions. It can tolerate high temperatures and humidity levels. It prefers well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH level.
Sweet Leaf loves soils that are rich in organic matter, which helps it retain the necessary moisture. It will still grow just fine in poorer soils, however, it’s not that fussy! You can amend your soil with compost or manure to improve the fertility and provide your plant with the nutrients it needs for vigorous growth. Mulching is also always a good idea.
Sweet Leaf grows best in a well-light position. It will grow in full sun, but you will need to keep the water up on hot days or it wilts. Mine are in semi-shade and growing like crazy.
Sweet Leaf Plant Propagation
Sweet Leaf is super easy to propagate. In fact, in my garden, it propagates itself. To the point where it is kind of a weed. But that’s okay! I keep it trimmed (great for free mulch) and it acts as a ‘groundcover’ – it’s really too tall to be a groundcover, but you can sort of grow it like that when you trim it.
I’ve left a couple of shrubs get tall, and they readily grow from self-sown seed. Cuttings are very easy. Choose a healthy cutting with a minimum of three nodes, and place it in water or soil. Or, just stick it straight into the soil. It will most likely grow.
You can also use root division, but I’ve never seen the advantage of this when they grow so easily from cuttings!
Maintaining Your Sweet Leaf Plant
Sweet Leaf practically looks after itself once it’s established. It loves water, so benefits from a good watering during hot or dry times. Pruning is also important. It gets very long and leggy if you don’t, and kind of sprawls over everything else.
I’ve not found fertilizing to be necessary, but it responds very well to a liquid fertilizer, especially foliar. I’ve been doing some trials with Powerfeed and liquid blood and bone, and it has loved both of those. Aussie Gardener has a great range of liquid fertilisers, check them out!
Harvesting Sweet Leaf
- To harvest the leaves, use a pair of clean scissors or garden shears to cut the leaves from the plant. Small, young leaves are the best if you want to eat them fresh or raw. Avoid harvesting more than one-third of the plant at a time to allow for continuous growth.
- Harvest sweet leaf leaves in the morning, after the dew has dried, if you want to get the most health benefits out of them.
Culinary Uses and Sweet Leaf Plant Recipes
The sweet leaf plant is incredibly versatile in the kitchen and can be used in a variety of dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Salads: Add fresh sweet leaf plant leaves to your favorite salads for a burst of fresh flavor and a nutritious boost.
- Smoothies: Blend sweet leaf plant leaves with your favorite fruits and vegetables for a healthy and refreshing smoothie.
- Stir-fries: Sauté sweet leaf plant leaves with other vegetables and protein for a quick and delicious stir-fry.
- Herbal tea: Steep sweet leaf plant leaves in hot water to enjoy a soothing and aromatic herbal tea.
- Omelettes, curries, soups – and so much more!
Health Benefits
My favourite herbs book ‘How can I use herbs in my daily life?’ lists Sweet Leaf as ‘one of the most prolific, heavy yielding, nutritious, and appetising green leaves’. First up, the dark green leaves are full of chlorophyll. This is great for your blood, helping with cell growth and keeping your gut and bowel movements healthy.
Sweet leaf is also packed with potassium, which is vital for your overall health. Plus, if you’ve got issues like fevers or ulcers, using these leaves as a poultice can help. There are many, many more benefits to Sweet Leaf, which is why I often pick a leaf or two, straight off the bush! If you don’t own one yet, grab a copy of Isabell Shipard’s book ‘How can I use Herbs in my daily life?‘ – it’s absolutely incredible.
