Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-12
-9999
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
Bushy, Evergreen
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Green, Purple
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Damp
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer
-
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Ample Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Damp
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
-
Beauty Benefits
Weightloss
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Plectranthus scutellarioides
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Coleus, Painted nettle
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Buntnessel
Malabarspinat
In French
Vieux garçon
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
coleo
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Coleus
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
cóleus
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Coleus
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Coleus
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Lamiaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Coleus and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Coleus and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Coleus and Malabar Spinach as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Coleus is Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection and Weight loss whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Coleus has beauty benefits as follows: Weightloss while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Weightloss.
Compare Facts of Coleus vs Malabar Spinach
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Coleus vs Malabar Spinach and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Coleus are whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Coleus has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Coleus is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Coleus and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.