Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Africa, Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
2010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
along watercourse, Grassland
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-12-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-4
12-7
Sunset Zone
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
Prostrate/Trailing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Crimson, Dark Green
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
High
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
brown-spot needle blight, Cutworms, Downy mildew, Flea beetle, Flea Beetles, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Powdery mildew, Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
Showy
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Insects, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Stomach pain, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects, Versatility
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
High blood pressure, Nutrients
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CITRULLUS lanatus 'Crimson Sweet'
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Watermelon
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
तरबूज़
भारतीय पालक
In German
Wassermelone
Indian Spinat
In French
Citrullus lanatus
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Citrullus lanatus
espinaca india
In Greek
καρπούζι
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Citrullus lanatus
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Citrullus lanatus
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Citrullus lanatus
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Embryophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Citrullus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Benincaseae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
10005
1
27800
👆🏻