Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South America, Brazil
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
101
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
coastal environs
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-12
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, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Red, Crimson
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green, Burgundy
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Broadly Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Vegetative Reproduction
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, Do Not over Water
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
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
In late autumn, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Aphids, Red blotch
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Analgesic, Antitumor
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
EUGENIA uniflora
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Brazilian Cherry, Pitanga, Surinam Cherry
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Pitanga
In German
Indian Spinat
Pitanga
In French
épinards indienne
Pitanga
In Spanish
espinaca india
Pitanga
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Pitanga
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Pitanga
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Pitanga
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Pitanga
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Myrtales
Family
Basellaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Basella
Eugenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Myrteae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
520
1
27800
👆🏻