Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Australia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Acacia retinodes retinodes, Acacia retinodes uncifolia
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
25
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
open forests
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*7
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
Oval/Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
530.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
530.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Gray Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Blue Green, Gray Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer, Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Xeric/Desert, Drought Tolerant
Average Water
In Spring
Adequately
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red spider mite
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Windbreak
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, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as a dye
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Acacia retinodes
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Ever-blooming Wattle, Silver Wattle, Water Wattle
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Silver Wattle
पोई
In German
Silver Wattle
Malabarspinat
In French
Mimosa d'été
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
acacia amarilla
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
ασήμι μιμόζα
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Acacia retinodes
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Silver Wattle
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Silver Wattle
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Fabales
Caryophyllales
Family
Fabaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Acacia
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
95060
1
27800
👆🏻