Tetragonia tetragonoides

New zealand spinach, New Zealand Spinach

Family: Aizoaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

New zealand spinach is a naturalized perennial found in coastal bioregions including North Coast, Central Coast, and Southern Coast in sand dunes, coastal bluffs, and wetland margins at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces small yellow-green flowers approximately 5 millimeters wide. Growing with multiple spreading stems reaching over 3 decimeters long, it forms a sprawling ground cover with distinctive large crystalline papillae. Its triangular-ovate leaves are 2 to 5 centimeters long with winged petioles and slightly wavy margins, presenting a unique succulent-like appearance. The plant produces pear-shaped brown seeds that contribute to its successful naturalization in coastal California environments.

Habitat: Common. Sand dunes, bluffs, margins of coastal wetlands

Bloom period: Apr-Sep

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo, SCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.