Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Vegetable
  
Tree
  
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
  
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
  
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
  
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
  
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
  
10-15
  
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
  
12-10
  
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, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Vining/Climbing
  
Twisted/Contorted
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
  
Ivory
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
  
Crimson, Copper
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
  
Dark Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
  
Compound
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Growth Rate
Fast
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
  
Loam, Sand
  
The pH of Soil
Neutral
  
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Not Available
  
Summer, Indeterminate
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Drought, Salt
  
Where to Plant?
Ground
  
Ground
  
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
  
Seedlings, Transplanting
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
  
occasional watering once established
  
In Summer
Average Water
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Neutral
  
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
  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
  
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
  
Red blotch
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
Yes
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
Yes
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
Yes
  
No
  
Invasive
Sometimes
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Not Available
  
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Bonsai
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Sometimes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
  
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
  
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
  
Bark, Leaves
  
Other Uses
Used As Food
  
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
  
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
  
BURSERA simaruba
  
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
  
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
  
In Hindi
पोई
  
Bursera simaruba
  
In German
Malabarspinat
  
Bursera simaruba
  
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
  
Bursera simaruba
  
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
  
Bursera simaruba
  
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
  
Bursera simaruba
  
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
  
Bursera simaruba
  
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
  
Bursera simaruba
  
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
  
Bursera simaruba
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Angiosperms
  
Class
Eudicotyledones
  
Eudicotyledones
  
Order
Caryophyllales
  
Sapindales
  
Family
Basellaceae
  
Burseraceae
  
Genus
Basella
  
Bursera
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Season and Care of Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo
Season and care of Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo is important to know. While considering everything about Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo Care, growing season is an essential factor. Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Gumbo Limbo season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam and for Gumbo Limbo is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Malabar Spinach is Neutral and for Gumbo Limbo is Neutral, Alkaline.
Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo Physical Information
Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo physical information is very important for comparison. Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm whereas Gumbo Limbo height is 460.00 cm and width 760.00 cm. The color specification of Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo are as follows:
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Gumbo Limbo flower color: Ivory
- Gumbo Limbo leaf color: Not Available
Care of Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo
Care of Malabar Spinach and Gumbo Limbo include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves and Gumbo Limbo pruning is done Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves. In summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Gumbo Limbo needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.