Life Span
Annual or Biennial
Perennial
Type
Epiphyte
Vegetable
Origin
South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Homesteads, Screen Cottage and Informal Garden, Woodlands
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
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 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
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
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green, Burgundy
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long and slender with very sharp edges
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Corms or bulbs, From Rhizomes, Rhizome division
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Never Over-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
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, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free
Aphids
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
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
-
Leaves
Other Uses
-
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, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Bromeliad
पोई
In German
Bromeliad
Malabarspinat
In French
Bromeliad
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Bromeliad
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Bromeliad
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Bromeliad
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Bromeliad
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Bromeliad
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Bromeliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Aechmea
Basella
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
347760
1
27800
👆🏻