Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Origin
Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
Not Available
Sunset Zone
H2, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Red
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Elliptic and Ovate
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Not Available
Tolerances
Shade areas
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes 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 pH
Acidic, 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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Birds
Not Available
Allergy
Toxic
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
No Medicinal Use
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Carissia
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
carissa
Malabarspinat
In French
carissa
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
carissa
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
carissa
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
carissa
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
carissa
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
carissa
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Gentianales
Caryophyllales
Family
Apocynaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Carisseae
Not Available
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Season and Care of Carissa and Malabar Spinach
Season and care of Carissa and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Carissa and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Carissa season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Carissa is Loam, Sand and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Carissa is Acidic, Neutral and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.
Carissa and Malabar Spinach Physical Information
Carissa and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Carissa height is 90.00 cm and width 60.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Carissa and Malabar Spinach are as follows:
Carissa flower color: White
Carissa leaf color: Dark Green
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
- Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Care of Carissa and Malabar Spinach
Care of Carissa and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Carissa pruning is done Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves and Remove dead or diseased plant parts and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Carissa 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.