Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable, Vines
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Winter squash, Field pumpkin, Crookneck pumpkin
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
810
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
close to waterfalls, Riverbanks, Warmer regions, waterways, Wet ground
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
1-6-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-7
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 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
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
91.44 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
609.60 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Orange Red, Yellow Brown
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Early Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Well drained
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
prune leaves so as to circulate fresh air, Remove Vines
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Scab
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Beetles, Bugs
-
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems, Itchiness, Swelling in the face
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin and hair, Skin cleanser, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anemia, Antibacterial, anti-cancer, cholesterol-lowering, High blood pressure, Immunity, Prevention of convulsion, Regulates Blood Sugar
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in salads
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA moschata 'Long Island Cheese'
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, Winter Pumpkin
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
चीनी कद्दू
भारतीय पालक
In German
chinesisch Kürbis
Indian Spinat
In French
potiron chinois
épinards indienne
In Spanish
calabaza china
espinaca india
In Greek
κινέζικο κολοκύθα
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
abóbora chinês
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Chiński dyni
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Chinese cucurbita
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Cucurbiteae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
95
1
27800
👆🏻