Greens Party

Spinach And Silverbeet Look And Taste Like They’re In The Same Club But They Are More Different Than You Think

- Chloe Thomson

Spinach and silverbeet are often confused with each other — and these leafy green veggies do have similar tastes and appearances — but for the best growing success in your garden it’s worth taking note of their differences.

We give the name silverbeet to Beta vulgaris plants grown for their leaves. But this botanical name includes myriad “cousins” such as beetroot, perpetual spinach, chard and Swiss chard, all of which share the same scientific moniker.

Traditional silverbeet — the variety ‘Fordhook Giant’, for example — is green with white stems. However, the showy rainbow-stemmed silverbeet is commonly called Swiss or rainbow chard.

All silverbeet is a powerhouse of nutrition, containing high levels of magnesium, calcium, vitamin K, iron, potassium, vitamin A, zinc, copper, vitamin C, dietary fi bre and vitamin E.