Life Span
Annual or Biennial
Perennial
Type
Epiphyte
Vegetable
Origin
South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
310
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Homesteads, Screen Cottage and Informal Garden, Woodlands
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Rosette/Stemless
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Burgundy
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Burgundy
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Burgundy
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green, Burgundy
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long and slender with very sharp edges
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Corms or bulbs, From Rhizomes, Rhizome division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Never Over-water
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Moist but well drained, Sandy
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Poorly Drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Indirect sunlight, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
-
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
-
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Houseplant, Informal Garden
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Bromeliad
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Bromeliad
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Bromeliad
भारतीय पालक
In German
Bromeliad
Indian Spinat
In French
Bromeliad
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Bromeliad
espinaca india
In Greek
Bromeliad
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Bromeliad
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Bromeliad
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Bromeliad
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Bromeliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Aechmea
Basella
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
34775
1
27800
👆🏻