Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Cactus or Succulent
  
Vegetable
  
Origin
Caribbean, Central America, Northern America, South America
  
Southeastern Asia, India
  
Types
Grafted Gymnocalycium Cultivars, Echinopsis chamaecereus cultivar, Pilosocereus pachycladus, Austrocylindropuntia subulata monstrose
  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Desert
  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
Not Available
  
12*7
  
Sunset Zone
Not Available
  
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
Not Available
  
Vining/Climbing
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Magenta, Red, White, Yellow
  
Red, Green, Orange Red
  
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Not Available
  
White, Ivory
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
  
Green, Light Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Several shades of Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Several shades of Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
  
Heart-shaped
  
Thorns
Yes
  
No
  
Plant Season
Summer
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Growth Rate
Medium
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
  
Clay, Loam
  
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Late Spring, Summer
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
  
Ground
  
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
  
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
Alkaline
  
Neutral
  
Soil Type
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
  
Clay, Loam
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Bright direct sunlight
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
  
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Nitrogen
  
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
  
Aphids
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Yes
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Not Available
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Not Available
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Not Available
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
Yes
  
Yes
  
Invasive
No
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Birds
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Hangover
  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
  
Leaves
  
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
  
Used As Food
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Feature Plant
  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
  
Botanical Name
Cactaceae
  
BASELLA alba
  
Common Name
Cactus
  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
  
In Hindi
Naagaphanee
  
पोई
  
In German
Kaktus
  
Malabarspinat
  
In French
Cactus
  
L’épinard de Malabar
  
In Spanish
El Cactus
  
espinaca de Malabar
  
In Greek
κάκτος
  
Malabar Σπανάκι
  
In Portuguese
cacto
  
Malabar espinafre
  
In Polish
kaktus
  
Szpinak Malabar
  
In Latin
Cactus
  
Spinach Malabar
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Tracheophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Dicotyledonae
  
Eudicotyledones
  
Order
Caryophyllales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Cactaceae
  
Basellaceae
  
Genus
Not Available
  
Basella
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Cactoideae, Maihueniodeae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Importance of Cactus and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Cactus and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Cactus 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 Cactus is Diabetes and Hangover whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Cactus has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Cactus 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 Cactus 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 Cactus are Not Available whereas of Malabar Spinach have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Cactus has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Cactus is flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Cactus and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.