Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Africa, South Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Ornithogalum Umbellatum
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Ornithogalum dubium
Ornithogalum arabicum
Ornithogalum nutans
Number of Varieties
560
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
10-7
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Orange, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Blue Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bog Garden, Borders, Decorating walls
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
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
Flowers, Root
Other Uses
Used As Food
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ORNITHOGALUM dubium
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Snake Flower, Sun Star, Yellow Chincherinchee
In Hindi
पोई
Sun Star
In German
Malabarspinat
Sun Star
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Sun Star
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Sun Star
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Sun Star
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Sun Star
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Sun Star
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Sun Star
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Platyhelminthes
Class
Eudicotyledones
Lilopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Asparagales
Family
Basellaceae
Asparagaceae
Genus
Basella
Ornithogalum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Ornithogaleae
Subfamily
-
Scilloideae
Number of Species
6050
1
27800
👆🏻