Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
-
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Lawn, Pastures, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-1
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
9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.00 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
Light Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Sea Green, Silver
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Three Lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, 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
Get enough water whenever the soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
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
-
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
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Irritation to stomach
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
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
anti inflammatory, Antispasmodic, Cardiotonic, Carminative, Febrifuge
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Seedpod
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used for making green dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Lotus corniculatus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Trefoil
In Hindi
पोई
तिपतिया घास
In German
Malabarspinat
Gewöhnlicher Hornklee
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Lotier corniculé
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Lotus corniculatus
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Trefoil
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Lotus corniculatus
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Komonica zwyczajna
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
trefoil
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Basella
Lotus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60300
1
27800
👆🏻