Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Africa, Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
205
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
along watercourse, Grassland
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
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 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Crimson, Dark Green
White, Ivory
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
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
High
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires consistently moist soil, 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
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Potassium
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
brown-spot needle blight, Cutworms, Downy mildew, Flea beetle, Flea Beetles, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Powdery mildew, Red blotch
Aphids
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
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages
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, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
तरबूज़
पोई
In German
Wassermelone
Malabarspinat
In French
Citrullus lanatus
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Citrullus lanatus
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
καρπούζι
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Citrullus lanatus
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Citrullus lanatus
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Citrullus lanatus
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Embryophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Citrullus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Benincaseae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
100060
1
27800
👆🏻