Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Aquatics
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
India
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Ipomoea aquatica
Number of Varieties
5120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
subtropical regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-6
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
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm12.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green, Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long 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
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
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
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
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, 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
Bacterial leaf spot, Damping-off, Root rot
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Hens
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Farmland
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-ageing Benefits, Antidiabetic, Reduces toothache, Skin Diseases
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used in curries, soups, stews
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
IPOMOEA aquatica
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Swamp Cabbage, Swamp Morning Glory, Water Spinach
In Hindi
पोई
Water Spinach
In German
Malabarspinat
Wasser-Spinat
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Épinards d'eau
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
La espinaca de agua
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Σπανάκι νερό
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Espinafre de água
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Szpinak wodny
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Water Spinach
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Solanales
Family
Basellaceae
Convolvulaceae
Genus
Basella
Ipomoea
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ipomoeeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60500
1
27800
👆🏻