Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Australia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Polystichum solitarium
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Shady Edge, Woodland Garden Dappled Shade
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
Not Available
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
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
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Not Available
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Not Available
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Saw-tooth like
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Shade, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
All year
Not Available
Tolerances
Drought, Dry Conditions, Light Frost, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, From Rhizomes, Spores
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
when new, water every week
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
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Shade, 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
Pests and diseases free
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry Conditions, Light Frost, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Not Available
Allergy
Not Available
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Poultice, Sore throat, Tonsillitis
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Polystichum munitum
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Swordfern, western swordfern
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Sword Fern
Malabarspinat
In French
Epée Fern
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
helecho espada
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
ξίφος φτέρη
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
espada Fern
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Miecz Fern
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Fern gladio
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Pteridophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Filicopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Polypodiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Dryopteridaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Polystichum
Basella
Clade
Not Available
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Not Available
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Season and Care of Swordfern and Malabar Spinach
Season and care of Swordfern and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Swordfern and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Swordfern season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Swordfern is Loam, Sand and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Swordfern is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.
Swordfern and Malabar Spinach Physical Information
Swordfern and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Swordfern height is 120.00 cm and width 60.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Swordfern and Malabar Spinach are as follows:
Swordfern flower color: Not Available
Swordfern leaf color: Green and Dark Green
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
- Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Care of Swordfern and Malabar Spinach
Care of Swordfern and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Swordfern 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 Swordfern 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.