Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
African iris, Large wild iris, Cape iris
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
610
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Forest margins, Slopes
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
70.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Blue, Violet
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Water more in summer
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
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads, Remove short twigs, Remove wet foliage
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Flying insects, Insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes, Water gardening
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, soil stabilisation, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Screen, useful as a ground cover
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Bog Garden, Container, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DIETES grandiflora
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Butterfly Iris
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
तितली आइरिस प्लांट
भारतीय पालक
In German
Schmetterling Iris Pflanzen
Indian Spinat
In French
Papillon Iris Plante
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Planta del iris de la mariposa
espinaca india
In Greek
Πεταλούδα Iris Φυτών
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Borboleta da planta Iris
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Butterfly Iris Roślin
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Gloria Iris Planta
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Liliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Dietes Salisb
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
2605
1
27800
👆🏻