Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
4805
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*7
Sunset Zone
-
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
-
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
-
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
-
Neutral
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, 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
-
Neutral
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
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
-
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
-
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CRYPTANTHUS
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Earth Star
पोई
In German
Erdstern
Malabarspinat
In French
Terre étoile
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
γη αστεριών
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
terra, stella
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Bromeliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
-
Number of Species
5060
1
27800
👆🏻