Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Citrus hystrix
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Deep, gardens, old gardens, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
9-11
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, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Yellow, Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
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
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Water Deeply
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
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
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Thinning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Apply N-P-K, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Armored scales, Fomes root rot, Mites, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Heat And Humidity
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Blood purifier, Digestion problems, Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Making Shampoo, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CITRUS hystrix
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Kaffir Lime, Makrut
In German
Malabarspinat
Kaffernlimette
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
combava
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
cafre
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Καφρός Lime
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Kaffir Lime
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
kaffir wapno
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Cafres Lime
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Basellaceae
Rutaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Season and Care of Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime
Season and care of Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime is important to know. While considering everything about Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime Care, growing season is an essential factor. Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Kaffir Lime season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam and for Kaffir Lime is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Malabar Spinach is Neutral and for Kaffir Lime is Acidic, Neutral.
Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime Physical Information
Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime physical information is very important for comparison. Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm whereas Kaffir Lime height is 180.00 cm and width 240.00 cm. The color specification of Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime are as follows:
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Kaffir Lime flower color: White
- Kaffir Lime leaf color: Green
Care of Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime
Care of Malabar Spinach and Kaffir Lime include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves and Kaffir Lime pruning is done Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves and Thinning. In summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Kaffir Lime needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.