I've been growing it for several years, and it is amazing. Four or five plants completely fill and even overflow my 6x6 foot trellis, with leaves 3-4 inches across. It is a tropical plant, and it LOVES heat. It will grow slowly until it gets really hot, as in over 80F. I've read that it's important to keep it moist, but it seems to need less water than anything else I grow. Needs little care. I occasionally throw some fertilizer on it. When the weather turns cool, it declines. I'm suspecting that your problem may have been lack of sunlight. Many plants produce small leaves when they don't get enough sunlight. Now, I have an E-W trellis, so one side gets full sun, and the other doesn't, but all the leaves look the same.

Thanks Daninthedirt. I'll try growing some in the veggie garden next season to see if they do better with full sun. I neglected to say that I kept the Malabar spinach well watered. Interesting to know that it's not all that necessary!

Linda

The remarkable thing about Malabar spinach is that it thrives on heat. I mean when it's 100+F, it's as happy as a clam. I never once saw it wilt in the heat, even when it is on long vines, far away from the soil. I don't know any other green that can do that.