Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Vegetable
Origin
Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean, Turkey, Western Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Herb
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12*7
Sunset Zone
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Light Frost, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove dead flowers
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Self-fertile
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Leafhoppers, Root Pathogen, Stem rot
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Light Frost, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bugs
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Appetite enhancer, Bloating, Digestion problems, Digestive, Heartburn, Menstrual Cramps, Stomach spasms
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Medicinal oil, Used As Food, Used in flavouring curries, teas
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CARUM carvi
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Caraway, meridian fennel, Persian cumin
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
शाहजीरा
पोई
In German
Kümmel
Malabarspinat
In French
carvi
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
alcaravea
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
κύμινο
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
alcaravia
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
kminek
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Caraway
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Apiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Apiaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Carum
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
2060
1
27800
👆🏻