Chia

Chia Care

Salvia hispanica

What is the plant

Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Salvia hispanica is considered a pseudocereal, cultivated for its edible, hydrophilic chia seed, grown and commonly used as food in several countries of western South America, western Mexico, and the southwestern United States.Chia is an annual herb growing up to 1.75 metres (5 feet 9 inches) tall, with opposite leaves that are 4–8 cm (1 1⁄2–3 1⁄4 in) long and 3–5 cm (1 1⁄4–2 in) wide. Its flowers are purple or white and are produced in numerous clusters in a spike at the end of each stem.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Hardiness zone

9a - 11

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Sown chia seeds need moisture for seedling establishment, while the maturing chia plant does not tolerate wet soils during growth. Watering depends on climatic conditions and rainfall.
Sunlight
Choose a spot that receives full sun.
Fertilizer
S. hispanica can be cultivated under low fertilizer input, using nitrogen or in some cases, no fertilizer is used.

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Soil
The cultivation of S. hispanica requires light to medium clay or sandy soils. The plant prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soils, but can cope with acid soils and moderate drought.
Temperature
The plant is considered hardy in the areas with the lowest winter temperatures of −12.2°C (10°F).
Popularity
266 people already have this plant 36 people have added this plant to their wishlists