Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Cephalocereus senilis
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Dry areas, Forest margins, gardens, Semi arid regions, Semi desert
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-15
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Pink
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Pink
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
White
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
White
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
White
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
White
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Funnel shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Water when soil is dry
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Bulbs, Hair
Leaves
Other Uses
Hair is used in making sweaters, Showy Purposes
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CEPHALOCEREUS senilis
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Bunny Cactus
White Persian Cat cactus
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
ओल्ड मैन कैक्टस
पोई
In German
Old Man Cactus
Malabarspinat
In French
Old Man Cactus
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Viejo Cactus
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Γέρος Cactus
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Old Man Cactus
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Stary Cactus
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Senem Cactus
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cephalocereus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Season and Care of Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach
Season and care of Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Old Man Cactus season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Old Man Cactus is Loam, Sand and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Old Man Cactus is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.
Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach Physical Information
Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Old Man Cactus height is 460.00 cm and width 30.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach are as follows:
Old Man Cactus flower color: Pink
Old Man Cactus leaf color: White
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
- Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Care of Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach
Care of Old Man Cactus and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Old Man Cactus pruning is done Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Old Man Cactus needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water.