Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fern
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Polystichum acrostichoides
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
105
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, By seashore, Coastal Regions, Moist woods, Swamps
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12*7
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 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
30.50 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Spores
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
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
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
-
Showy
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
Insects
-
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, coma, Eye irritation, weakness
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Nutrients
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
POLYSTICHUM acrostichoides
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Christmas Fern
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Christmas Fern
पोई
In German
Christmas Fern
Malabarspinat
In French
polystic faux-acrostic
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Christmas Fern
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Christmas Fern
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Christmas Fern
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Christmas Fern
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Christmas Fern
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Filicinophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Filicopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Filicales
Caryophyllales
Family
Dryopteridaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Polystichum
Basella
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
70060
1
27800
👆🏻