Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus, Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Africa, South Africa
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Couma macrocarpa
Number of Varieties
105
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Bushlands, Upland savannas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
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
H1, H2, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Light Yellow, Yellow green, Gold
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
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Needs very little water, occasional watering once established
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
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Mealy bugs, Soft scales
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
pollinators
Allergy
-
Nausea, Skin irritation, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Asthma, Bronchitis, Diarrhea
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Sap
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Container, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Euphorbia pseudocactus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Tiger Tree
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
टाइगर ट्री
In German
Indian Spinat
Tiger Tree
In French
épinards indienne
Tiger Tree
In Spanish
espinaca india
Tiger Tree
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Tiger Tree
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Tiger Tree
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Tiger Tree
In Latin
Spinach Indian
tigris lignum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Malpighiales
Family
Basellaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Basella
Euphorbia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Euphorbieae
Subfamily
-
Euphorbioideae
Number of Species
52000
1
27800
👆🏻