Toon Tree (Beef and Onion Tree) – Seed

This is a highly nutritious edible leaf tree is from China, where it is farmed. According to research done by perennial vegetable specialist Eric Toensmeier, this is one of the most nutritious leaves in the whole world. People have called it the “Beef and Onion Tree” or “Onion Tree” to describe the unique, rich flavor of the greens. After recently tasting leaves, we must agree that the leaves really do taste like a delicious soup (Campbells Chicken Noodle?). The leaves possess a rich umami flavor profile that we have never encountered in another plant. As we understand, this is primarily a cooked green where it is native.

Will this tree thrive in Florida? The short answer is that we don’t know. The tree is grown in Northern China, showing cold tolerance in locations that may be similar to New York or Pennsylvania. However, some range maps for this species show it growing well into tropical areas of Southeast Asia. We are tentatively excited about the potential of this plant in Florida. Purchasers of this seed should consider this an experimental project in Florida. The more northerly a Florida garden, the more likely it is to thrive.

When we purchased seed, only bulk seed was available. We are dividing this seed up into smaller packs to give other people a shot at growing it. A germination percentage is not known, but our first round of sown seed is germinating well.

Toona sinensis – 50 Seeds