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Compare Blue Flax and Malabar Spinach


Malabar Spinach and Blue Flax


What is

Life Span
Annual  
Perennial  

Type
Perennial  
Vegetable  

Origin
Europe, Asia  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
Winged flax, Bristle flax, Fairy flax  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  

Number of Varieties
4  
5  

Habitat
Cultivated Beds  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  

USDA Hardiness Zone
4-8  
-9999  

AHS Heat Zone
9-7  
12*7  

Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 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
45.72 cm  
99+
2.40 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
45.72 cm  
99+
24.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Blue, Sky Blue  
Red, Green, Orange Red  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Tan  
White, Ivory  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Narrow  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, 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
Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer  
-  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season  
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
Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

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

Pruning
Midseason Pruning, Prune in fall, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
Nitrogen  

Pests and Diseases
Red blotch  
Aphids  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Yes  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
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
Fine  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Flies  
-  

Allergy
Cyanide poisoning  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
-  

Beauty Benefits
Good for skin  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Antirheumatic, Carminative, Emollient, Ophthalmic, Poultice, Stomachic  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C  

Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Seeds  
Leaves  

Other Uses
Cosmetics, Fibre, For making oil, Used in paper industry  
Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
-  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
LINUM perenne  
BASELLA alba  

Common Name
Perennial Flax, Blue flax, Alpine flax  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  

In Hindi
Blue Flax Plant  
पोई  

In German
Blaue Flachspflanze  
Malabarspinat  

In French
Bleu lin Plante  
L’épinard de Malabar  

In Spanish
Planta de lino azul  
espinaca de Malabar  

In Greek
Μπλε Λίνο Φυτών  
Malabar Σπανάκι  

In Portuguese
Planta do linho azul  
Malabar espinafre  

In Polish
Niebieski roślin lnu  
Szpinak Malabar  

In Latin
Blue linum Planta  
Spinach Malabar  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Eudicotyledones  

Order
Linales  
Caryophyllales  

Family
Linaceae  
Basellaceae  

Genus
Linum  
Basella  

Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
180  
99+
60  

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Difference Between Blue Flax and Malabar Spinach

If you are confused whether Blue Flax or Malabar 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 Blue Flax and Malabar Spinach Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Blue Flax are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, whereas for Malabar Spinach fertilizers required are Nitrogen. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Blue Flax and Malabar Spinach if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Blue Flax and Malabar Spinach

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Blue Flax and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Blue Flax and Malabar 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 Flax is Antirheumatic, Carminative, Emollient, Ophthalmic, Poultice and Stomachic whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Blue Flax has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin.

Compare Facts of Blue Flax vs Malabar 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 Flax vs Malabar 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 Flax are Cyanide poisoning whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Blue Flax has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Blue Flax is flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Blue Flax and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.

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