Chop Suey Greens (Shungiku), Heirloom Seeds

Chop Suey Greens (Shungiku), Heirloom Seeds — The Versatile Asian Green for Winter Salads, Stir-Fries, and Microgreens

Shungiku — also known as Chop Suey Greens, Garland Chrysanthemum, and Edible Chrysanthemum — is one of the most versatile Asian greens you can grow. This preferred fine-leaf strain produces bright green, lacey leaves with a distinctive flavor: slightly crunchy, with notes of carrot, fruit, and flowers and a mild but pleasant bitterness that makes it exceptional in salads, stir-fries, soups, and sushi. Cut greens when 4–8 inches tall for the best flavor and texture. Grown as a winter and spring green, Shungiku thrives when other greens struggle. Let some plants go and harvest the small orange and yellow chrysanthemum flowers — edible and beautiful, they can be dried for tea or used as a garnish. An outstanding microgreen with thin, serrated true leaves and a strong, complex flavor.

Why Grow Shungiku?

• Distinctive carrot-fruit-floral flavor — complex and unlike any other salad green
• Winter and spring performer — thrives when other greens struggle
• Edible orange and yellow flowers — beautiful garnish or dried for tea
• Outstanding microgreen — thin serrated leaves with strong, complex flavor
• Versatile in Asian cuisines — salads, stir-fries, soups, hotpots, and sushi
• Open-pollinated heirloom — save seed year after year

Growing Notes

Direct sow outdoors in early spring or fall in full sun to part shade. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep, 2–3 inches apart. Thin to 6 inches. Keep soil consistently moist. Harvest leaves at 4–8 inches tall for best flavor. Cut-and-come-again — harvest outer leaves to extend production. Allow some plants to flower for edible blooms and seed saving.

Days to maturity: 30–45 days
Packet size: 100+ seeds
Type: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, Annual
Spacing: 6 plants per sq ft
Sun: Full sun to part shade
USDA Zones: All U.S. zones