Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Gasteria brachyphylla, Gasteria rawlinsonii
Number of Varieties
516
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Deciduous forests, River side, rocky banks of streams
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
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
13, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm12.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Tongue shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Bright direct sunlight, Partial Sun
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
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Dry soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Do Not over Water
In Summer
Average Water
Less 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, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Fusarium root rot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Heat And Humidity
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
-
Ants, Flies
Allergy
-
Irritation to intestines, Skin rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Good for the Scalp
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Aging, Blood disorders, Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Sap
Other Uses
Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Shampoo, Oil is used in mosquito repellents
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
GASTERIA
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Gasteria
In Hindi
पोई
Gasteria
In German
Malabarspinat
Gasteria
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Gasteria
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Gasteria
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Gasteria
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Gasteria
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Gasteria
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Gasteria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Eudicotyledones
Monocots
Order
Caryophyllales
Asparagales
Family
Basellaceae
Aloaceae
Genus
Basella
Gasteria
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Asphodeloideae
Number of Species
6016
1
27800
👆🏻