Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central America, South America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Willow Leaf, Sieva Lima, Dixie Speckled
Number of Varieties
102
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Humid climates, Subtropical climates, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
-
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Willow-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Not so frequently
In Spring
Moderate
Alternate Days
In Winter
Average Water
Drought Tolerant
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
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
Prune to control growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Aphids, Armyworm, Bean rust, Bean weevils, Corn earworm, Cucumber beetles, Curly top, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Earwigs, Fusarium root rot, Grasshoppers, Leafhoppers, Loopers, Lycaenid pod borers, Lygus bugs, Mosaic viruses, Nematodes, Powdery mildew, Saltmarsh caterpillar, Seedcorn maggot, Slugs, Snails, Spider mites, Stink bugs, Thripes, White mold, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
cholesterol-lowering, constipation, Digestive disorders, Fiber, Heart problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb, Vegetable
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PHASEOLUS lunatus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Butter Bean, Lima Bean
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
सेम फली
In German
Indian Spinat
Limabohne
In French
épinards indienne
Haricot de Lima
In Spanish
espinaca india
Haba
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Γίγαντας
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
feijão-Lima
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Lima Bean
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Lima Bean
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Basella
Phaseolus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Phaseoleae
Subfamily
-
Faboideae
Number of Species
540
1
27800
👆🏻