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About Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach


About Malabar Spinach and Ficus Elastica


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Tree  
Vegetable  

Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Nepal  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
Rubber Plant, Rubber Fig  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  

Number of Varieties
60  
99+
5  

Habitat
agricultural areas, Along Railroads, Coastal Regions, Forests, Roadsides, Scrubs, Suburban areas  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  

USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11  
-9999  

AHS Heat Zone
12-10  
12*7  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 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
180.00 cm  
99+
2.40 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
90.00 cm  
99+
24.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
-  
Red, Green, Orange Red  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Yellow, Yellow green  
White, Ivory  

Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Dark Green, Crimson  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Dark Green, Crimson  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Dark Green, Crimson  
Purple, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Dark Green, Crimson  
Purple, Gray Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Elliptic to oblong  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

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

Growing Conditions
  
  

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

Growth Rate
Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
-  
-  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
-  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings, Vegetative Reproduction  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering  
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, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  

Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
don't fertilize in winter  
Nitrogen  

Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Yellow Leaves  
Aphids  

Plant Tolerance
-  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Insignificant  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
-  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
-  
-  

Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes  
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
Latex  
Leaves  

Other Uses
Making rubber, Making tyres  
Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
Yes  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Tropical  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
FICUS elastica  
BASELLA alba  

Common Name
Rubber Plant  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  

In Hindi
रबड़ का पौधा  
पोई  

In German
Ficus elastica  
Malabarspinat  

In French
Ficus elastica  
L’épinard de Malabar  

In Spanish
ficus  
espinaca de Malabar  

In Greek
ελαστικός φίκος  
Malabar Σπανάκι  

In Portuguese
fábrica de borracha  
Malabar espinafre  

In Polish
gumy roślin  
Szpinak Malabar  

In Latin
Flexilis herba  
Spinach Malabar  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Tracheophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Eudicotyledones  

Order
Rosales  
Caryophyllales  

Family
Moraceae  
Basellaceae  

Genus
Ficus  
Basella  

Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  

Tribe
Ficeae  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
800  
31
60  

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach

Wondering what are the properties of Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach? We provide you with everything About Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach. Ficus Elastica doesn't have thorns and Malabar Spinach doesn't have thorns. Also Ficus Elastica does not have fragrant flowers. Ficus Elastica has allergic reactions like Asthma and breathing problems and Malabar Spinach has allergic reactions like Asthma and breathing problems. 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 Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

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Season and Care of Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach

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

Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach Physical Information

Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Ficus Elastica height is 180.00 cm and width 90.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach are as follows:

Care of Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach

Care of Ficus Elastica and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Ficus Elastica pruning is done Prune for shortening long shoots and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Ficus Elastica 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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