Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Vegetable
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
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, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
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
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, 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 very little water
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, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, 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, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
In German
Malabarspinat
Brotbaum
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Bread Arbre
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Árbol del pan
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
ψωμί Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Árvore de pão
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
chleb Drzewo
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
panis ligno
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Equisetopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cycadales
Family
Basellaceae
Cycadaceae
Genus
Basella
Encephalartos
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Season and Care of Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree
Season and care of Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree is important to know. While considering everything about Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree Care, growing season is an essential factor. Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Bread Tree season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam and for Bread Tree is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Malabar Spinach is Neutral and for Bread Tree is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline.
Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree Physical Information
Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree physical information is very important for comparison. Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm whereas Bread Tree height is 290.00 cm and width 240.00 cm. The color specification of Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree are as follows:
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Bread Tree flower color:
- Bread Tree leaf color: Green and Dark Green
Care of Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree
Care of Malabar Spinach and Bread Tree include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves and Bread Tree pruning is done Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves and Remove dead or diseased plant parts. In summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Bread Tree needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.