Quinoa

Chenopodium quinoa

Amaranthaceae (Amaranth)

A complete-protein pseudo-grain. Tricky in Texas heat — it sets seed best where summer nights stay cool.

EdibleAnnualNutrient-denseSurvival cropStaple caloriesCool-season

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) illustration — Texas Roots plant database, by Jordan Polasek

Sun

Full sun

Water

Low

Soil

Well-drained

pH

6.0–7.5

Hardiness

Cool-season; heat-sensitive bloom

Height

3–6 ft

Spacing

12–18 in

Days to harvest

90–120

What it is

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is in the Amaranthaceae (Amaranth) family. A complete-protein pseudo-grain. Tricky in Texas heat — it sets seed best where summer nights stay cool.

How to grow it

It wants full sun, water it low, and give it well-drained soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0–7.5. Space plants about 12–18 in apart. Expect roughly 90–120. Cool-season; heat-sensitive bloom.

How it's used

Quinoa is used: seed cooked like grain.

🔎 How to identify it

Goosefoot leaves like lambsquarters
Colorful seed plumes
Reddish stems

Edibility

PartsSeed (rinse to remove saponins)

UsesSeed cooked like grain

CautionRinse seed well — natural saponin coating is bitter.

🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.

Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.