Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Mexico, Caribbean
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Ornamental Grass
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
205
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
marshes, Riverbanks, Sandy areas, Tropical rainforest
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 5
12*7
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Orange Red
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light brown, Light Green
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Dark Green, Dark Red, Bronze
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Borers, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Animal Feed, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Groundcover, Mixed Border, Water Gardens, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
TRIPSACUM dactyloides
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Eastern Gamagrass
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
पूर्वी Gamagrass
पोई
In German
Eastern Gamagrass
Malabarspinat
In French
Gamagrass Orient
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Maicillo del Este
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Ανατολική Gamagrass
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Gamagrass Oriental
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Eastern Gamagrass
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Orientalium Gamagrass
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Streptophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Poales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Tripsacum
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Andropogoneae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
160
1
27800
👆🏻