Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Vegetable
Origin
Europe, Turkey, Central Asia, Western Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Colchicum cupanii, Colchicum alpinum
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
455
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Fields, meadows, Rocky areas, Shaded sites, Woodlands
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*7
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
7.60 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
7.60 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Purple, Violet
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
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall, Winter, Late Winter
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Medium, Needs less watering, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water less during winter
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Ample Water
Average Water
In Spring
Less Watering
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Less fertilizing
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double
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
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Kidney Disease, Low blood pressure, Stomach pain, Toxic, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Diarrhea, Diuretic, Rheumatism
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Cutflower, Foundation, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
COLCHICUM
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Colchicum
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
colchicum
पोई
In German
colchicum
Malabarspinat
In French
colchique
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Colchicum
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Colchicum
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Colchicum
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Colchicum
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Colchicum
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Liliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Liliaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Colchicum
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Wurmbaeiodeae
-
Number of Species
16060
1
27800
👆🏻