Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
-10
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Lower slopes
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-7
Sunset Zone
10, 11, 12, 13, 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
Rosette/Stemless
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
270.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Rosette
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Insects, Mites
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DASYLIRION texanum
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
sotol
भारतीय पालक
In German
Dasylirion texanum
Indian Spinat
In French
sotol
épinards indienne
In Spanish
sotol
espinaca india
In Greek
sotol
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
sotol
espinafre indiano
In Polish
sotol
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
sotol
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Liliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Liliaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Dasylirion
Basella
Clade
Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nolinoideae
-
Number of Species
3005
1
27800
👆🏻