Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Western United States, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
-5
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-1
12*7
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Magenta, Rose, Burgundy, Bronze
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Several shades of Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Several shades of Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Red blotch
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
-
Allergy
Digestive Problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Hangover
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Jam
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CYLINDROPUNTIA imbricata
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Cane Cholla, Walking Stick Cholla, Tree Cholla, Chainlink Cactus
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Cardenche
पोई
In German
Cardenche
Malabarspinat
In French
Cactus rustique
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Cardenche
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Cardenche
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Cardenche
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Cardenche
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Cardenche
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Dicotyledonae
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
-
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae, Maihueniodeae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae
-
Number of Species
-60
1
27800
👆🏻