Are Spinach & Lettuce Weeds?

Spinach

• Domestic spinach comes in three basic types: Savoy, smooth-leaf spinach and semi-Savoy. Savoy has large, crinkled leaves and grows in cold climates. Smooth-leaf spinach is best harvested young and eaten as baby spinach. Semi-Savoy is more upright and smoother than regular Savoy. Thought to have come originally from ancient Persia, the king of Nepal sent some to China as a gift in the 7th century. Spinach is one of the world's healthiest vegetables, high in vitamins and minerals as well as anti-cancer carotenoids such as neoxanthin and violaxanthin.

Wild Spinach

• Wild greens have gained in popularity in recent years, as people become more health conscious, and are widely considered one of nature's "superfoods." Chenopodium album "lamb's quarter" is a spinach-like plant often referred to as wild spinach, which grows as a weed in various states. A delicate, leafy green vegetable that resembles baby spinach, it has a milder flavor than spinach and is served with strong cheeses, fresh herbs and garlic. Sold as a specialty product, Latin cuisine uses lamb's quarter extensively.

Lettuce

• Food lovers worldwide use lettuce in multiple different ways. Lactuca sativa "lettuce" plants grow easily, although hot, sunny or dry conditions can cause the heads to turn bitter. Lettuce's nutritional value comes mostly from its high vitamin A and potassium content, but it is also high in antioxidants and provides some carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Lettuce is available in five different cultivars and is most common in salads, although in some countries it is included in cooked dishes as well.

Wild Lettuce

• Two different types of wild lettuce often form part of salads. Lactuca serriola "Prickly Lettuce" and L. virosa "Wild Lettuce" are easy to find in parts of the United States. According to the book "The Flavors of Home: a Guide to Wild Edible Plants of the San Francisco Bay Area," both are a welcome addition to salads as long as they are eaten young, as the leaves turn bitter quickly. Since these plants grow in the wild, it is possible that they are mistaken for lettuce growing as a weed.