Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Europe
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
610
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
dry rocky watercourses
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-7
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
71.10 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue Violet, Lavender, Purple, White
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Sea Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Sea Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Sea Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate to elliptical
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, Late Spring, Early Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Rhizome division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Aphids, Bacterial leaf spot, Billbugs, Borers, Fungal leaf spots
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
Gastric disturbances, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Juice of fresh root used for treatment of dropsy
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Used as a flavouring in food
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Iris germanica
BASELLA alba
Common Name
German Iris
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
German Iris
भारतीय पालक
In German
German Iris
Indian Spinat
In French
German Iris
épinards indienne
In Spanish
German Iris
espinaca india
In Greek
German Iris
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
German Iris
espinafre indiano
In Polish
German Iris
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
German Iris
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
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
3005
1
27800
👆🏻