Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Origin
Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
-9999
Sunset Zone
H2, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Red
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Elliptic and Ovate
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Tolerances
Shade areas
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes 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 pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Carissia
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
carissa
Malabarspinat
In French
carissa
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
carissa
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
carissa
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
carissa
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
carissa
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
carissa
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Gentianales
Caryophyllales
Family
Apocynaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
-
Importance of Carissa and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Carissa and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Carissa 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 Carissa is whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Carissa has beauty benefits as follows: while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Carissa 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 Carissa 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 Carissa are Toxic whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Carissa has showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Carissa is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Carissa and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.