Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
-
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus
Number of Varieties
106
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
subtropical regions, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999913-15
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
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm15.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Cylindrical
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
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, Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
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
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
-
-
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
-
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Soothing and relieving pain
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
-
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Schlumbergera truncata
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Schlumbergera, false Christmas cactus, Christmas cactus
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Schlumbergera
In German
Indian Spinat
Schlumbergera
In French
épinards indienne
Schlumbergera
In Spanish
espinaca india
Schlumbergera
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Schlumbergera
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Schlumbergera
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Schlumbergera
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Gymnocalycium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Rhipsalideae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
56
1
27800
👆🏻