Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Habitat
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-15
-9999
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Yellow, Magenta
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Pink, Red
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs good drainage, Needs very little water, Water carefully
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 pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Edible Uses
Insignificant
Yes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Blue barrel cactus
भारतीय पालक
In German
Blau Faßkaktus
Indian Spinat
In French
Bleu barrel cactus
épinards indienne
In Spanish
biznaga Azul
espinaca india
In Greek
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
cacto de tambor azul
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Blue Cactus
Spinach Indian
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Echinocactus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Blue Barrel and Indian Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Blue Barrel and Indian Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Blue Barrel 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 Blue Barrel is whereas of Indian Spinach is Astringent. Blue Barrel has beauty benefits as follows: while Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Blue Barrel 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 Blue Barrel 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 Blue Barrel are whereas of Indian Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Blue Barrel has no showy fruits and Indian Spinach has showy fruits. Also Blue Barrel is flowering and Indian Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Blue Barrel and Indian Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.