Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial, Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
-
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Echinocereus reichenbachii albertii, Echinocereus reichenbachii fitchii, Echinocereus reichenbachii albispinus
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
95
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Grassland
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*7
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 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
-
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
5.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Dark Green, Olive
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
-
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
-
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
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
Cold climate, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Average Water
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
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Dispose of diseased portions, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Scale insects
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
-
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant
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
Flowers, Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Echinocereus reichenbachii
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Hedgehog Cactus, Lace
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Hedgehog cactus
पोई
In German
Igel Kaktus
Malabarspinat
In French
hérisson cactus
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
cactus de erizo
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
hedgehog cactus
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
jeż kaktus
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
cactus
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Echinocereus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Pachycereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
20860
1
27800
👆🏻