Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Russia/Siberia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Shrub
Number of Varieties
53
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Cold Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
7-1
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
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm2,330.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Purple, Sienna, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Scale-like imbricate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Semi-hardwood cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Water during dry weather, Water occasionally
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used for bedding in gardens
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Alpine, Edging, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
MICROBIOTA decussata
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Microbiota, Siberian carpet cypress, Russian arbor vitae
In Hindi
पोई
माइक्रोबायोटा
In German
Malabarspinat
Mikrobiota
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
microbiote
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
microbiota
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
μικροχλωρίδας
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
microbiota
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
mikroflory
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Microbiota
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Pinopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Pinales
Family
Basellaceae
Cupressaceae
Genus
Basella
Microbiota
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
601
1
27800
👆🏻