Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
California
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Number of Varieties
53
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Foot Hills, low mountains, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Red, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Elliptic
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
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Does not require water in summer, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Solid Fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Bacterial Diseases, Root Pathogen
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
-
Birds
Allergy
-
Acidic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Body Ache, Stomach pain
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Decoration Purposes, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HETEROMELES arbutifolia
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Christmas Berry, California Holly
In Hindi
पोई
Toyon
In German
Malabarspinat
Toyon
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Toyon
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Toyon
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Toyon
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Toyon
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Toyon
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Toyon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Rosales
Family
Basellaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Basella
Heteromeles
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Maleae
Subfamily
-
Amygdaloideae
Number of Species
606
1
27800
👆🏻