Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Africa, South America, Southeast Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Oriental Bittersweet, American Bittersweet
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
All sorts of environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
9-12
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, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Light Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Light Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Round with toothed margin
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Do not water frequently
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Leaf rust, Thripes
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Sun
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
-
Fruit Bats, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Chest Pain, Inflammation, Skin rash, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bouquets
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Skin cleanser
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for birds, Suppresses or replaces native plants
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antispasmodic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Application in Handicrafts, Used as a nemiticide, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Celastrus orbiculatus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Oriental bittersweet, Asian bittersweet
In Hindi
पोई
Asian bittersweet
In German
Malabarspinat
Rundblättriger Baumwürger
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Asian bittersweet
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Asian bittersweet
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Asian bittersweet
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Asian bittersweet
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Dławisz okrągłolistny
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Asian bittersweet
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Celastrales
Family
Basellaceae
Celastraceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Celastroideae
Season and Care of Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet
Season and care of Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet is important to know. While considering everything about Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet Care, growing season is an essential factor. Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Bittersweet season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam and for Bittersweet is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Malabar Spinach is Neutral and for Bittersweet is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline.
Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet Physical Information
Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet physical information is very important for comparison. Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm whereas Bittersweet height is 3,050.00 cm and width 1,520.00 cm. The color specification of Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet are as follows:
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Bittersweet flower color: Light Green, Light Yellow and Yellow green
- Bittersweet leaf color: Green and Dark Green
Care of Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet
Care of Malabar Spinach and Bittersweet include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves and Bittersweet pruning is done Remove dead branches. In summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Bittersweet needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.