Home
Garden Plants


About Physostegia and Malabar Spinach


About Malabar Spinach and Physostegia


What is

Life Span
Annual  
Perennial  

Type
Perennial  
Vegetable  

Origin
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, Canada, Mexico  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
Shrub  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  

Number of Varieties
70  
99+
5  

Habitat
Sunny Edge  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  

USDA Hardiness Zone
3-9  
-9999  

AHS Heat Zone
8-1  
12*7  

Sunset Zone
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 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
Upright/Erect  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
60.00 cm  
99+
2.40 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
45.70 cm  
99+
24.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
White, Purple, Pink, Rose, Violet  
Red, Green, Orange Red  

Flower Color Modifier
-  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Red, Green, Light Green  
White, Ivory  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Lance shaped  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer, Fall  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam  
Clay, Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Average  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall  
-  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Root Division  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering  
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
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam  
Clay, Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Average  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
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  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
Sometimes  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
No  
Yes  

Attracts
Hummingbirds  
-  

Allergy
-  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
-  
Yes  

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
Flowers  
Leaves  

Other Uses
Showy Purposes  
Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
PHYSOSTEGIA  
BASELLA alba  

Common Name
Physostegia  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  

In Hindi
Physostegia  
पोई  

In German
Physostegia  
Malabarspinat  

In French
Physostegia  
L’épinard de Malabar  

In Spanish
Physostegia  
espinaca de Malabar  

In Greek
Physostegia  
Malabar Σπανάκι  

In Portuguese
Physostegia  
Malabar espinafre  

In Polish
Physostegia  
Szpinak Malabar  

In Latin
Physostegia  
Spinach Malabar  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Eudicotyledones  

Order
Lamiales  
Caryophyllales  

Family
Lamiaceae  
Basellaceae  

Genus
Physostegia  
Basella  

Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
65  
60  

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach

Wondering what are the properties of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach? We provide you with everything About Physostegia and Malabar Spinach. Physostegia doesn't have thorns and Malabar Spinach doesn't have thorns. Also Physostegia does not have fragrant flowers. Physostegia has allergic reactions like and Malabar Spinach has allergic reactions like . Compare all the properties and characteristics of these two plants. Find out which of these plant can be used as indoor plant. If you are interested to decorate your house and garden, find out aesthetic uses, compare them and select the plant which will beautify your surrounding. Along with beautification, try comparing medicinal and edible uses of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

Compare Perennial Flowers

Season and Care of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach

Season and care of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Physostegia and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Physostegia season is Summer and Fall and Malabar Spinach season is Summer and Fall. The type of soil for Physostegia is Clay, Loam and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Physostegia is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.

Physostegia and Malabar Spinach Physical Information

Physostegia and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Physostegia height is 60.00 cm and width 45.70 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach are as follows:

Care of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach

Care of Physostegia and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Physostegia 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 Physostegia 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.

Perennial Flowers

Perennial Flowers

» More Perennial Flowers

Compare Perennial Flowers

» More Compare Perennial Flowers