Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Africa, Asia, Polynesia, Australia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
assera , caerulea , cinerascens , petasmatodes
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
75
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
mild coastal areas, Upland sandy savannas
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*7
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
40.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Blue, Blue Violet
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Blue, Violet
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Narrow
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance, Light Frost
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during 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, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Crown rot, Fungal leaf spots
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance, Light Frost
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
-
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillar
-
Allergy
breathing problems, Dizziness, poisonous if ingested
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Showy Purposes, small hedge, Wild gardens
-
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
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DIANELLA caerulea
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Blue Flax Lily, Blueberry Lily, Paroo Lily
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
blue flax lily
पोई
In German
blau Flachs Lilie
Malabarspinat
In French
Dianella caerulea
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Dianella caerulea
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Dianella caerulea
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
blue flax lily
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
blue flax lily
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
blue flax lily
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Monocots
Eudicotyledones
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Liliaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Dianella
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
760
1
27800
👆🏻