Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Tropical Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
1010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-9
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
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Oblong or Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
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
Medium
Coarse
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
Astringent
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Elephant Apple
In German
Indian Spinat
Elefant von Apple
In French
épinards indienne
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
espinaca india
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Elephant Apple
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Dilleniales
Family
Basellaceae
Dilleniaceae
Genus
Basella
Dillenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
51
1
27800
👆🏻