Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa, South Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Ornithogalum Umbellatum
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Ornithogalum dubium
Ornithogalum arabicum
Ornithogalum nutans
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
605
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-7
12*7
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Gold
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green, Yellow green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
-
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
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, From bulbs
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, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
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
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bog Garden, Borders, Decorating walls
-
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
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
Leaves
Other Uses
-
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ORNITHOGALUM dubium
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Snake Flower, Sun Star, Yellow Chincherinchee
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Sun Star
पोई
In German
Sun Star
Malabarspinat
In French
Sun Star
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Sun Star
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Sun Star
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Sun Star
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Sun Star
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Sun Star
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Platyhelminthes
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Asparagaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Ornithogalum
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Ornithogaleae
-
Subfamily
Scilloideae
-
Number of Species
5060
1
27800
👆🏻