How different is perpetual spinach?

[planetologist]

While perpetual spinach has its advantages (early to start, very easy to grow) I prefer the taste of spinach. A friend said that spinach works better if sown after midsummer, because then it doesn't bolt. Last year I grew spinach for seed in spring The ones I sowed after midsummer were overrun by the winter squash and came to nothing. I'm going to try again this year.

[falkon]

Swiss Chard, rainbow chard, perpetual spinach, leaf beet etc are all versions of the same animal: beta vulgaris (beetroot)

grow the pretty ones

I thought they belonged to plant kingdom

[cupcake]

I grew Rainbow chard last year, it was a great success, unfortunately the sparrows decided they liked it too! This year I'll sow twice as much and put some in the flowerbeds!

[Flummery]

I've never had trouble with pests - we have pigeons and of course, caterpillars - on spinach beet.
Even after-summer sown spinach bolts here!

[Nibbler]

I like them both but when raw I think the texture is markedly different. True spinach is almost fleshy in comparison, pepetual spinach is finer and more delicate. I think perpetual is prettier as a plant. But these are only observations, not critisms. Also my mum used to grow successfully in an area that was in shade for 70% of the day, don't know if that helps at all.