Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Tropical Fruit Tree
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
105
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12*7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Spreading
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,370.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Yellow green, Brown
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
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong or Lanceolate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead branches
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Put diluted fertilizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DILLENIA indica
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Chulta, Elephant Apple
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Elephant Apple
पोई
In German
Elefant von Apple
Malabarspinat
In French
Elephant d'Apple
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
El elefante de Apple
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
ελέφαντας της Apple
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Elefante da Apple
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Słoń Jabłko
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Elephant Apple
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Dilleniales
Caryophyllales
Family
Dilleniaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Dillenia
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
160
1
27800
👆🏻