Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
African iris, Large wild iris, Cape iris
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Forest margins, Slopes
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 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
White, Yellow, Blue, Violet
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Grass like
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting, Stem Planting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Water more in summer
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads, Remove short twigs, Remove wet foliage
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Flying insects, Insects
-
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes, Water gardening
-
Edible Uses
Insignificant
Yes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, soil stabilisation, Windbreak
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Leaves
Other Uses
Screen, useful as a ground cover
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Bog Garden, Container, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DIETES grandiflora
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Butterfly Iris
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
तितली आइरिस प्लांट
पोई
In German
Schmetterling Iris Pflanzen
Malabarspinat
In French
Papillon Iris Plante
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Planta del iris de la mariposa
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Πεταλούδα Iris Φυτών
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Borboleta da planta Iris
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Butterfly Iris Roślin
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Gloria Iris Planta
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Liliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Dietes Salisb
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Season and Care of Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach
Season and care of Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Butterfly Iris season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Butterfly Iris is Clay, Loam, Sand and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Butterfly Iris is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.
Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach Physical Information
Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Butterfly Iris height is 70.00 cm and width 50.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach are as follows:
Butterfly Iris flower color: White, Yellow, Blue and Violet
Butterfly Iris leaf color: Green and Gray Green
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
- Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Care of Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach
Care of Butterfly Iris and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Butterfly Iris pruning is done Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads, Remove short twigs and Remove wet foliage and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Butterfly Iris 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.