Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Vegetable
Origin
South Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-12
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Brotbaum
Malabarspinat
In French
Bread Arbre
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
panis ligno
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cycadales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cycadaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Basella
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Season and Care of Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach
Season and care of Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Bread Tree season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Bread Tree is Loam, Sand and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Bread Tree is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.
Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach Physical Information
Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Bread Tree height is 290.00 cm and width 240.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach are as follows:
Care of Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach
Care of Bread Tree and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Bread Tree pruning is done Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves and Remove dead or diseased plant parts and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Bread Tree needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water.