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About Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach


About Malabar Spinach and Choy Sum


What is

Life Span
Annual  
Perennial  

Type
Vegetable  
Vegetable  

Origin
Europe  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
-  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  

Number of Varieties
5  
5  

Habitat
agricultural areas, Moist Soils  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  

USDA Hardiness Zone
4-10  
-9999  

AHS Heat Zone
9-3  
12*7  

Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 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
Upright/Erect  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
15.20 cm  
99+
2.40 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
15.70 cm  
99+
24.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow  
Red, Green, Orange Red  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Sienna, Black  
White, Ivory  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
White, Green, Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
White, Green, Dark Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
White, Green, Dark Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Oval  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral  
Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Spring, Summer  
-  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Do not water the foliage, Keep the Soil well drained  
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  
Neutral  

Soil Type
Clay, 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 dead or diseased plant parts  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
8-8-8, since leafy plants, use higher nitrogen content fertilizer  
Nitrogen  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Beetles, Cabbage looper, Downy mildew, Fusarium leaf spot, Rust  
Aphids  

Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Humidity, Shallow soil  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
-  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
Sometimes  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Caterpillar, Mites  
-  

Allergy
Diarrhea, Dizziness, Nausea  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
-  
-  

Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Hair Conditioner, Skin cleanser  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Fixes Nitrogen, Food for animals  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Aging, Anti-oxidant, Digestion problems, Eliminate toxins, Nutritive, Obesity, Rich in Potassium  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C  

Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves  
Leaves  

Other Uses
Culinary use, Sauces, Used to promote healthy blood flow during menstruation  
Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Wildflower  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
BRASSICA rapa( Chinensis Group)  
BASELLA alba  

Common Name
Bok Choy, Chinese Cabbage, Choy Sum, Pak Choi  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  

In Hindi
choy sum  
पोई  

In German
choy sum  
Malabarspinat  

In French
choy sum  
L’épinard de Malabar  

In Spanish
choy sum  
espinaca de Malabar  

In Greek
choy sum  
Malabar Σπανάκι  

In Portuguese
choy sum  
Malabar espinafre  

In Polish
choy sum  
Szpinak Malabar  

In Latin
choy sum  
Spinach Malabar  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Eudicotyledones  

Order
Capparales  
Caryophyllales  

Family
Brassicaceae  
Basellaceae  

Genus
Brassica  
Basella  

Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
18  
99+
60  

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach

Wondering what are the properties of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach? We provide you with everything About Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach. Choy Sum doesn't have thorns and Malabar Spinach doesn't have thorns. Also Choy Sum does not have fragrant flowers. Choy Sum has allergic reactions like Diarrhea, Dizziness and Nausea and Malabar Spinach has allergic reactions like Diarrhea, Dizziness and Nausea. Compare all the properties and characteristics of these two plants. Find out which of these plant can be used as indoor plant. If you are interested to decorate your house and garden, find out aesthetic uses, compare them and select the plant which will beautify your surrounding. Along with beautification, try comparing medicinal and edible uses of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

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Season and Care of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach

Season and care of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Choy Sum season is Spring, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Choy Sum is Clay, Loam, Sand and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Choy Sum is Acidic, Neutral and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.

Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach Physical Information

Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Choy Sum height is 15.20 cm and width 15.70 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach are as follows:

Care of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach

Care of Choy Sum and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Choy Sum pruning is done Remove dead or diseased plant parts and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Choy Sum 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.

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