Despite the name, Malabar spinach has little in common with Popeye’s favorite green. Unlike true spinach, Malabar spinach is a summer salad; this jungle vine gains strength as the temperature rises.

After the houseplant heyday of the 1970s, the penchant for potted green companions faded with all but the most dedicated plant parents. But over the past decade, as many young adults began filling … ...