Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Castanea pumila
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
810
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hillside, Ridges
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-5
12-7
Sunset Zone
-
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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Ivory
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Green, Chartreuse
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Gold, Tan
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season, Water once every two or three weeks
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in early spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Deers, Rabbits, Squirrels
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Headache, Treating fever
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used in biomass, Wood is used for making furniture, Wood log is used in making fences
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CASTANEA pumila
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Chinquapin
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
बौना शाहबलूत
भारतीय पालक
In German
Zwergkastanien
Indian Spinat
In French
châtaignier nain
épinards indienne
In Spanish
el castaño enano
espinaca india
In Greek
νάνος καστανιάς
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
νάνος καστανιάς
espinafre indiano
In Polish
krasnolud kasztan
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
P. castaneis
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Fagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Fagaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Castanea
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Cherokee
-
Subfamily
Cassidinae
-
Number of Species
65
1
27800
👆🏻