Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Asia, India, China
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
565
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Humid climates, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-4
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, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Gold, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, 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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
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 Fast
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
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Does not require lot of watering
In Summer
Average Water
Less Watering
In Spring
Moderate
Adequately
In Winter
Average Water
Ample 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
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Don't prune in winter, No pruning needed in the early stages
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize three times a year, very little fertilizers at a time
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Caterpillars, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Heart problems, Skin Disorders, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
DIMOCARPUS longan
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Longan
In Hindi
पोई
Longan
In German
Malabarspinat
Longan
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
longane
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Longan
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Longan
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Longan
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Longan
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Longan
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Basellaceae
Sapindaceae
Genus
Basella
Dimocarpus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6065
1
27800
👆🏻