Southwest Florida Gardening

April 23, 2007:
I discovered the katuk on my last visit to Echo in Ft Myers. It was a pretty little shrub with the strangest flowers all along the stems. Sort of a flat splotch of color, a dull red, maybe a quarter inch across. Notice I called the flowers “strange” rather than pretty. I asked one of the interns what it was since it wasn’t labeled. She told me it was called katuk and was very tasty in a salad. Well, it wasn’t expensive so I bought it. I’m a great believer in edible landscaping and the general shape and color of this plant intrigued me.
I kept the katuk in a large pot for several months and soon determined that it didn’t particularly like the hot sun. So, it got planted at the back corner of the garden where it was partially shaded. I do all my gardening in containers and that particular corner was reserved for my salad garden. I figured the katuk should be there, nice and handy.
The scientific name for katuk is Sauropus androgynus, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, otherwise known as Philippine Weed. I’ll stick to calling it katuk. The leaves, young stems (before they turn woody) and flowers are all edible raw or cooked. I haven’t tried cooking it since I really don’t care for the texture of any cooked greens. However, the leaves add a nice touch to a mixed salad, tasting for all the world like fresh raw green peas.
We’ve all heard the stories of the Japanese soldiers hidden in Philippine caves for 25 years after World War II had ended. Supposedly, they survived by eating katuk and a little bit of shell fish they were able to collect. This stuff is very high in protein in addition to being tasty.
Propagation is from mature wood cuttings. That’s a technique I haven’t exactly mastered yet but one that I keep working on. I think this would be an excellent candidate for a patio container, as long as it was brought in to a protected area for the winter months up north. From what little I’ve learned, it will die back to the ground with a frost but will usually sprout from the base in the spring. Since it’s native to the Philippines, I wouldn’t subject it to any kind of prolonged cold.
I’ll try taking some “mature wood cuttings” later, toward the end of summer. In the meantime, I’m just enjoying the flavor of fresh peas in my salads.