Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Brazil
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Neomarica gracilis
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-14-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12*7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 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
Thicket/Colonizing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Blue, Burgundy, Lavender, Blue Violet
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Sword-like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Cut out old leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Balanced garden plant fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial Diseases, Fungal Diseases, Rodent, Viruses
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
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
-
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
NEOMARICA caerulea
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Giant Apostle's Iris, Walking Iris
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Walking Iris
पोई
In German
Gehen Iris
Malabarspinat
In French
Iris Marcher
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
caminar Iris
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
περπάτημα Iris
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Andar Iris
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Walking Iris
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
O Thaumantias
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Liliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Neomarica
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Mariceae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
2860
1
27800
👆🏻