Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
-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
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
-
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
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 Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Variety of soil types
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Attracts
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
-
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
-
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
-
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CRYPTANTHUS
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Erdstern
Malabarspinat
In French
Terre étoile
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
γη αστεριών
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
terra, stella
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Bromeliales
Caryophyllales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
-
Importance of Earth Star and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Earth Star and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Earth Star 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 Earth Star is whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Earth Star has beauty benefits as follows: while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Earth Star 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 Earth Star 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 Earth Star are whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Earth Star has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Earth Star is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Earth Star and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.