Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Japan
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Papyrus, Cyperus alternifolius
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
155
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
ditches, Marshy ground
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-4
12*7
Sunset Zone
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
Pyramidal
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
460.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red orange
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Bronze
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Umbrella Like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Plant grows in water
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut out old leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
-
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
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
Tonic
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Root
Leaves
Other Uses
Basketary, Used in paper industry, Weaving into Mats and Bags
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Cyperus alternifolius
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Galingale,Umbrella Palm
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
mbrella Palm
पोई
In German
Cyperus alternifolius
Malabarspinat
In French
Cyperus alternifolius
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Cyperus alternifolius
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Umbrella Palm
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Umbrella Palm
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Cibora zmienna
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Umbrella Palm
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cyperales
Caryophyllales
Family
Sciadopityaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cyperus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
960
1
27800
👆🏻