Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Brazil
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
10-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Subtropical climates, subtropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-10
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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm550.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Ivory, Gray
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Magenta, Violet
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
Cuneate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Does not require regular watering
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
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 damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Red blotch
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Wood
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used for woodware, Wood is used for making furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
TRIPLARIS americana
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Ant Stick, Macaw, St. Mary's Stick
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Macaw
In German
Indian Spinat
Ara
In French
épinards indienne
ara
In Spanish
espinaca india
guacamayo
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
μακώ
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
arara
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
ara
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Ara
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Polygonaceae
Genus
Basella
Triplaris
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5-
1
27800
👆🏻