Large, mild-flavored green leaves look terrific climbing up a bean tower or fence .The thick, dark green leaves of this edible ornamental provide tasty greens throughout the summer, when traditional spinach will not grow. The mild flavor makes Red Stem equally good cooked or fresh, and is more palatable to children than the peppery cool-season varieties. Heat-loving and vigorous, these attractive plants reach 6 feet or more if trained on a bean tower, trellis, lamppost, or any vertical structure with some porousness for twining. Many people grow Red Stem for purely ornamental purposes, but there’s a lot of good eating on this productive plant!