Corchorus tridens
Corchorus tridens
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of low to middle elevations in the dry to moist tropics. It prefers temperatures in the range from 22 - 35°c with diurnal variations to encourage leaf development[1]. In Tanzania it grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,000 - 1,800mm[2]. Succeeds in a range of soil types but well-drained, alluvial or sandy loams are preferable[1]. A soil pH of 6.5 - 7 is favourable, but it tolerates a pH between 5.5 - 8.5[1]. Plants are rather drought resistant[1]. Jew's mallow is a hot season vegetable in dry areas of the tropics[1]. It is collected in the lowland African tropics throughout the year[1]. Although it thrives best during the rainy season, it is rather drought resistant[1]. Plants can tolerate a month without rainfall, but irrigation improves growth and yields[1]. Plants also tolerate a high level of rainfall but are very sensitive to excess water when young[1]. The plants grow rapidly in the rainy season and flowering occurs about 6 weeks after germination[1]. The first leaves can be picked at about 40 days after sowing and thereafter every fortnight by topping leafy shoots, which encourages new growth[1]. Harvesting stops when the plants are about 80 days old, when no new leaves are formed[1]. Flowering occurs continuously and seeds mature at 90 - 110 days from sowing[1]. Fruiting plants can be found throughout the year[1]. The leaf yield is about 5 - 8 kg per 10 m2 and is much reduced during the dry cool season[1].
Propagation
Seed - sown directly on well-prepared, manured beds at the beginning of the wet season, broadcast or drilled in rows spaced at 20 - 30 cm. The plants are thinned to 20 plants per m2. Germination may be poor due to seed dormancy, but a short immersion in boiling water or soaking overnight in warm water speeds up germination and makes it less erratic[1]. The seeds retain their viability for 8 - 12 months when stored in well-sealed jars[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Corchorus+tridens>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [2]Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania — Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. · Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. · 2002 · ISBN 9966-896-60-0 ↩︎A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
- [3]Useful Fiber Plants of the World — Dodge C.R. · USDA; Washington. · 1897 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.