Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Central America, South America
Southern Asia
Types
Fruit Tree
Savoy, Giant Noble, Semi-savoy
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
Fields, gardens, meadows, Suburban areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
-
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
243.84 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink
Yellow, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Tan, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Dry, Sandy
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Fertilize when new
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Downy mildew, Leafminers, Red blotch, Seedcorn maggot
Plant Tolerance
Wind
Cold climate, Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
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
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
-
Allergy
Pollen
Food Allergy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Energy, Potassium, Rich in Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Herb, Vegetable
Botanical Name
Malpighia emarginata
SPINACIA oleracea
Common Name
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
Spinach
In Hindi
Acerola Tree
पालक
In German
Acerola Baum
Spinat
In French
Acerola Arbre
Épinards
In Spanish
Árbol de acerola
Espinacas
In Greek
Acerola Δέντρο
Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Árvore acerola
Espinafre
In Polish
Acerola Drzewo
Szpinak
In Latin
Acerola ligno
Spinach
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malpighiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Malpighiaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Malpighia
Spinacia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Anserineae
Subfamily
Paperveroideae
Chenopodioideae
Number of Species
-800
1
27800
👆🏻