General Information
Greens Swiss chard has broad wavy and crinkled green leaves with snow-white stalks and veins flowing throughout the foliage. The leaves are succulent and tender, their flavor far less robust than other pigmented varieties, which is why Green Swiss chard has been nicknamed “Butter chard”. The white stalks are equally as edible with a mild salty favor, lacking the bitterness common with colored varieties.
History
As its genus, Beta vulgaris, suggests, chard is, in fact, a beet that has been chosen for leaf production at the expense of root formation. All chard varieties are descendants of the sea beet (B. maritima), a wild seashore plant found growing along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa. Green Swiss chard is easily adaptable to many soils and climates. It grows vigorously and produces large yields. Large plants reach two feet in height and are very upright in architecture, making for a showy edible garden element.
