Fall Deals:
15% OFF Strawberry Trees - Barbados Cherries - Papayas
15% Off Vitex & Sweet Almond
Roselle & Egyptian Spinach - Buy One Get One Free
🚚 Shipping Update:
We’re now shipping nationwide across the continental U.S. again! 🌱
📦 Please note: Shipping to California remains paused due to agricultural regulations.
🍃🌺 Tongan Spinach / Bele (Abelmoschus manihot) – Tropical Salad Tree Marvel 🌺🍃
Bring home a lush piece of the Pacific! Tongan Spinach, also called Bele, Aibika, or the playful “Slippery Cabbage,” is a fast-growing, tropical perennial green that doubles as an ornamental showstopper and a nutrient-packed culinary delight. 🌴🥗
🌿 Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Abelmoschus manihot |
| Plant Type | Perennial shrub/tree, edible leafy green |
| Size at Sale | Ships in economy 4” pot |
| Mature Height & Width | Up to 13 ft tall, 3–5 ft wide (pruned smaller) |
| USDA Zones | 9–11 (perennial); grown as annual elsewhere |
| Sun Requirements | Full to partial sun |
| Cold Hardiness | Light frost tender; regrows vigorously in spring |
| Growth Habit | Evergreen, upright perennial with showy leaves & pendulous flowers |
| Spacing Requirements | 3–4 ft apart |
🍴 Flavor & Culinary Use
- Flavor profile: Leaves are mild, earthy, slightly mucilaginous (similar to Malabar spinach).
- Texture: Silky when cooked, making soups and curries luxuriously smooth.
- Best Dishes:
- Steamed or sautéed with garlic & onions
- Cooked in coconut milk with spices (a Pacific Island staple)
- Used fresh as green wraps for meats, rice, or vegetarian fillings
- Harvest: Young, tender leaves can be picked throughout the year in Florida and tropical climates.
🌱 Top Benefits & Uses
- Culinary Staple: Widely used in Pacific and Asian cuisines.
- Nutritional Powerhouse: Rich in vitamins A & C, calcium, iron, and protein.
- Ornamental Appeal: Broad tropical leaves and delicate yellow hibiscus-like flowers.
- Cultural Legacy: Originating from Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, Bele is cherished as both a food and a community plant.
- Wildlife Benefits: Flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.
- Resilient & Adaptable: Thrives in tropical heat, bounces back after pruning, and tolerates varying soils.
🌼 Ornamental & Container Gardening Notes
- Landscape Use: Works as a bold, tropical accent in food forests, permaculture guilds, or mixed edible hedges.
- Container Friendly: Can thrive in 5–15 gallon containers with good drainage. Keep pruned to 4–6 ft for patios or indoor sunrooms.
- Indoor Growing: Possible in bright sunrooms or greenhouses in cooler climates. Needs consistent warmth and humidity.
🌿 Best Practices for Planting & Care
🌞 Where to Plant
- Choose full sun to partial sun areas with rich, well-draining soil.
- Avoid low, waterlogged areas.
🌱 Planting Instructions
- Dig hole only slightly wider than container, at same depth.
- Backfill with native soil + compost. Do not bury base.
- Top-dress with biochar, compost, azomite, and organic nutrients.
- Use the GreenDreams “High & Tight” planting method (watch our Planting Video).
💧 Watering
- Water daily during establishment.
- Transition to weekly watering in year one.
- Increase watering during droughts or peak heat.
🍂 Mulching
- Use hardwood mulch to conserve moisture and improve soil.
- Keep mulch away from direct contact with the stem.
❄️ Seasonal Care (Florida & Southeast)
- Protect from frost with row cover or temporary shelter.
- In colder snaps, it may die back but will resprout in spring.
- Regular pruning promotes compact, bushy growth.
⚠️ Cautions
- Cold Sensitive: Not suitable for regions with long freezes.
- Mucilaginous Texture: Some may find the “slippery” mouthfeel off-putting (similar to okra).
- Non-Toxic: Safe for humans and livestock; no major toxicity concerns reported.
🌟 Is Tongan Spinach Right for You?
✅ Ideal For:
- Tropical & subtropical gardeners (Zones 9–11)
- Food forest & permaculture projects
- Culinary adventurers & health-focused growers
- Container gardeners in northern climates with indoor space
❌ Not Ideal For:
- Gardeners in regions with extended hard frost without greenhouse protection
- Those who dislike the mild “slippery” texture of tropical greens
❓ FAQ
Q: Can I grow Tongan Spinach in a container?
A: Yes! Use a 5–15 gallon pot with rich, well-draining soil. Keep pruned to 4–6 ft.
Q: Is Tongan Spinach frost hardy?
A: It is frost tender but regrows vigorously in warm weather. Protect during freezes.
Q: How often can I harvest leaves?
A: Regularly! Pick young leaves throughout the year for best flavor and tenderness.
Q: Does Tongan Spinach attract pollinators?
A: Yes, its hibiscus-like flowers are loved by bees and butterflies.
Q: What is the best traditional recipe?
A: Pacific Island stews: Bele leaves simmered in coconut milk with onions and peppers.
📦 Shipping & Handling
- Ships in our economy 4” container.
- Best for shipping within Florida, the Southeast, and Texas.
- We ship nationwide, but plants sent to northern or western states may need extra recovery time after transit.
⚠️ Heat/Cold Disclaimer: Buyer discretion is advised during extreme seasonal temps. We are not responsible for weather-related stress.
📦 All orders ship Mondays via UPS Ground from Florida.
🏡 Local Pickup
📍 Available at:
GreenDreams Nursery & Farm
18709 US Hwy. 41, Spring Hill, FL 34610
Open Tues–Fri 9 AM–5 PM | Sat 8 AM–3 PM
🌿 Come see what’s fresh!
🛒 Add This Pacific Treasure to Your Garden!
Ready to grow your own tropical salad tree? Order your Tongan Spinach today and bring the flavors of the Pacific Islands to your garden and kitchen! 🌴🥗
IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE PURCHASING LIVE PLANTS:
*Please be advised that our online store selections are NOT available for pickup at our retail location in Spring Hill, Florida.
Inventory for our online store is located at a separate facility and are priced and handled exclusively for packaging & shipping.
Click here to learn more about our Spring Hill, FL retail nursery location, including countless more nursery selections ready for pickup - larger sizes and wider variety of plants not suitable for nationwide delivery.
1. Shipping Stress: Transportation can be stressful for plants, particularly when they spend several days in a confined, dark environment. It’s common for plants to experience leaf drop during this period. Rest assured, most plants typically recover quickly and thrive with minimal aftercare. However, some may need extra attention, love, and care, requiring appropriate watering and exposure to gentle light post-unboxing.
2. Potential Physical Damage: Despite our dedicated efforts to ensure that your plants are securely packaged, they may incur damage during shipping and handling by UPS. Rest assured, our shipping team is committed to packing your selections with utmost care and precision to minimize any potential harm.
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For significant box damage, please reach out to UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
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For minor damages, such as a broken branch or stem, we advise allowing the plant time to recover and regenerate with proper care and attention.
3. Long-Distance Shipping Considerations: Orders shipped over long distances, particularly to the western US, may take 3 - 5 business days to arrive due to various factors, including agricultural inspections in Arizona, California, and Texas. Such extended transit times can be particularly challenging for tender, young plants, affecting their quality due to prolonged confinement.
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We take additional measures during packaging to facilitate a swift recovery of the plants upon unboxing.
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Initial extra care and attention might be required over the first few weeks post-transport.
For further guidance, kindly review our detailed policies on returns and refunds, as well as our comprehensive plant care guide. We appreciate your understanding and patience in nurturing your new plants.
🌿 Important Shipping Information
Please take a moment to review our shipping protocols designed to ensure your plants arrive in optimal condition.
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Countdown Clock: At the top of our online store, you'll notice a countdown clock. This tool helps communicate our weekly shipping schedule, providing clarity on when you can expect your orders to be dispatched.
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Shipping Schedule: Our nursery, located in the heart of Central Florida, ships orders once weekly, every Monday. This is a strategic decision to prevent packages from being stationary over the weekends, ensuring that our plants travel as swiftly as possible across the country, even reaching as far as California.
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Shipping Method: At present, we offer ground shipping rates to meet various needs while maintaining the well-being of our plants during transit.
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Our Dedicated Team: We are a boutique nursery with a passionate team. Our members wear many hats, contributing to shipping, nursery operations, and engaging in valuable local projects. As we blossom and expand, rest assured that enhancing and streamlining our processes remains a priority to serve you better
Terms and Conditions for Purchasing Live Plants
1. Understanding of Shipping Stress
By purchasing live plants from our store, the customer acknowledges that transportation can be stressful for plants. It is common for plants to undergo leaf drop or experience other temporary issues during shipping. However, it is understood that most plants recover quickly with adequate care and attention post-shipping.
2. Awareness of Potential Physical Damage
Customers acknowledge that despite our best efforts in packaging, there may be occurrences of damage during shipping and handling. For substantial damages to the package, customers agree to contact UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
3. Acknowledgement of Long-Distance Shipping Considerations
Customers recognize that shipments, especially those directed to the western US, may be subjected to longer shipping durations of 3-5 business days. Customers agree to provide necessary care to the plants, recognizing that the quality of the plants may be affected due to prolonged shipping times.
4. Agreement with Shipping Information and Schedule
Customers, by making a purchase, have reviewed and agreed upon our shipping protocols and schedules. They acknowledge the presence of a countdown clock on the website and our once-weekly shipping policy every Monday, recognizing the rationale behind avoiding weekend layovers for the plants.
5.Extreme Weather Conditions
Customers acknowledge that our store is not responsible for damage or loss of live plants due to extreme weather conditions during transit and delivery. This includes exposure to cold or freezing temperatures during the winter months and extreme heat during the summer. We provide tracking information when orders are processed every Monday to ensure customers are aware of the delivery schedule. It is the customer's responsibility to prevent packages from being left outside in conditions that may cause damage. Our store does not accept responsibility for any adverse effects caused by weather conditions beyond our control.
6. No Refund Policy
Customers agree that refunds are only processed under exceptional circumstances. Our store will not be held responsible for poor plant choices relative to location suitability, extreme conditions during and/or post-shipment, and improper post-purchase plant care.
7. Responsibility of Care
Upon purchase, customers agree to assume full responsibility for the ongoing care of the plants. This includes, but is not limited to, appropriate watering, exposure to suitable light, and adherence to specific care instructions pertinent to each plant type.
8. Consent
By proceeding with this purchase, customers consent to all the terms and conditions stated above, confirming understanding and agreement to all stipulations mentioned.
These terms and conditions aim to ensure clarity, mutual understanding, and agreement between the seller and the customer to facilitate a smooth transaction and foster a positive customer experience.
