Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Middle Africa
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Perennial Grass
Number of Varieties
1015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12 - 1
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Budding, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Insects, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Asthma, breathing problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Elephant Grass
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
हाथी घास
In German
Indian Spinat
Elefantengras
In French
épinards indienne
l'herbe à éléphant
In Spanish
espinaca india
pasto elefante
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
ελέφαντα χόρτο
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
capim-elefante
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
trawa słoniowa
In Latin
Spinach Indian
elephanti herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Poales
Family
Basellaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Basella
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
51
1
27800
👆🏻