Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
12-15
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
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Magenta
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Pink, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
-
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Needs good drainage, Needs very little water, Water carefully
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, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Edible Uses
Yes
Insignificant
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
In Hindi
पोई
Blue barrel cactus
In German
Malabarspinat
Blau Faßkaktus
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Bleu barrel cactus
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
biznaga Azul
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
cacto de tambor azul
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Blue Cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Echinocactus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Season and Care of Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel
Season and care of Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel is important to know. While considering everything about Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel Care, growing season is an essential factor. Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Blue Barrel season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam and for Blue Barrel is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Malabar Spinach is Neutral and for Blue Barrel is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline.
Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel Physical Information
Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel physical information is very important for comparison. Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm whereas Blue Barrel height is 40.00 cm and width 13.00 cm. The color specification of Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel are as follows:
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Blue Barrel flower color: Yellow and Magenta
- Blue Barrel leaf color:
Care of Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel
Care of Malabar Spinach and Blue Barrel include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves and Blue Barrel pruning is done . In summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Blue Barrel needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.