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Compare African Iris and Indian Spinach


Indian Spinach and African Iris


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Tender Perennial  
Vegetable  

Origin
Southern Africa  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
Perennial  
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,  

Number of Varieties
50  
99+
10  
99+

Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions  
gardens  

USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10  
-9999  

AHS Heat Zone
10-8  
12-7  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 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
Clump-Forming  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
61.30 cm  
99+
2.40 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
30.50 cm  
99+
20.00 cm  

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown  
White, Pink, Light Pink  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Green, Brown  
Purple, Black  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Grass like  
Round  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Medium  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Average  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings  
Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering  
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

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
Average  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Remove dead leaves  
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning  

Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale  
Insects, Mites  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
-  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies  
-  

Allergy
Skin irritation  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
No  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
-  
Astringent  

Part of Plant Used
Root  
Fruits, Leaves  

Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant  
Culinary use, Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor  
BASELLA alba  

Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily  
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach  

In Hindi
African Iris  
भारतीय पालक  

In German
Afrikanische Iris  
Indian Spinat  

In French
African Iris  
épinards indienne  

In Spanish
Iris africano  
espinaca india  

In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris  
Ινδικό Σπανάκι  

In Portuguese
Iris africano  
espinafre indiano  

In Polish
Afryki Iris  
Indyjski szpinak  

In Latin
African Iris  
Spinach Indian  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
-  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
-  

Order
Asparagales  
Caryophyllales  

Family
Iridaceae  
Basellaceae  

Genus
Dietes  
Basella  

Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  

Tribe
Irideae  
-  

Subfamily
Iridoideae  
-  

Number of Species
300  
99+
5  
99+

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Difference Between African Iris and Indian Spinach

If you are confused whether African Iris or Indian Spinach are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see African Iris and Indian Spinach Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of African Iris are Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, whereas for Indian Spinach fertilizers required are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between African Iris and Indian Spinach if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of African Iris and Indian Spinach

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of African Iris and Indian Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare African Iris and Indian Spinach as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of African Iris is whereas of Indian Spinach is Astringent. African Iris has beauty benefits as follows: while Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of African Iris vs Indian Spinach

How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of African Iris vs Indian Spinach and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of African Iris are Skin irritation whereas of Indian Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. African Iris has no showy fruits and Indian Spinach has showy fruits. Also African Iris is not flowering and Indian Spinach is not flowering . You can compare African Iris and Indian Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.

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