Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
World, Pandemic, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
3010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bluffs, Sandy stream banks, Wooded slopes
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-1
12-7
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
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
10.20 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple, Lavender, Blue Violet
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
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, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Insects
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Liver problems, Skin Disorders, Treatment of ulcers
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a spice
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
IRIS cristata
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Crested Iris
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
कलगी आइरिस
भारतीय पालक
In German
Crested Iris
Indian Spinat
In French
Crested Iris
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Crested Iris
espinaca india
In Greek
Crested Iris
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Crested Iris
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Czubaty Iris
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
iubatum Iris
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Iris
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
2105
1
27800
👆🏻