Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Hoodia albispina, Hoodia flava, Hoodia bainii
Number of Varieties
525
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999912-15
0
99
👆🏻
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
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Red, Pink, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
-
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Once a week
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
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Flies, Insects
Allergy
-
Dry Mouth
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Used for its medicinal properties
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
Hoodia gordonii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
ǁhoba, Ghaap
In Hindi
पोई
Hoodia
In German
Malabarspinat
Hoodia
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Hoodia
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Hoodia
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Hoodia
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Hoodia
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Hoodia
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Hoodia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Gentianales
Family
Basellaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Basella
Hoodia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Stapeliae
Subfamily
-
Asclepiadoideae
Number of Species
6025
1
27800
👆🏻