Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Tree
  
Vegetable
  
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, China
  
Southeastern Asia, India
  
Types
Not Available
  
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
  
gardens
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
  
12-7
  
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Spreading
  
Vining/Climbing
  
Plant Size
  
  
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm
  
33
Minimum Width
1,370.00 cm
  
12
Not Available
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Ivory
  
White, Pink, Light Pink
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Green, Yellow green, Brown
  
Purple, Black
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
  
Green, Light Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Oblong or Lanceolate
  
Round
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Growth Rate
Medium
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
  
Clay, Loam
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Average
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
  
Indeterminate
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Not Available
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Ground
  
Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
  
Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
  
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
  
Clay, Loam
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Pruning
Remove dead branches
  
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
  
Fertilizers
Put diluted fertilizers
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
  
Insects, Mites
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
Yes
  
Not Available
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
Yes
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Coarse
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
no allergic reactions
  
no allergic reactions
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
  
Astringent
  
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
  
Fruits, Leaves
  
Other Uses
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
  
Culinary use, Used As Food
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
  
Botanical Name
DILLENIA indica
  
BASELLA alba
  
Common Name
Chulta, Elephant Apple
  
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
  
In Hindi
Elephant Apple
  
भारतीय पालक
  
In German
Elefant von Apple
  
Indian Spinat
  
In French
Elephant d'Apple
  
épinards indienne
  
In Spanish
El elefante de Apple
  
espinaca india
  
In Greek
ελέφαντας της Apple
  
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
  
In Portuguese
Elefante da Apple
  
espinafre indiano
  
In Polish
Słoń Jabłko
  
Indyjski szpinak
  
In Latin
Elephant Apple
  
Spinach Indian
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Not Available
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Not Available
  
Order
Dilleniales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Dilleniaceae
  
Basellaceae
  
Genus
Dillenia
  
Basella
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Importance of Elephant Apple and Indian Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Apple and Indian Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Apple and Indian 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 Elephant Apple is Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent and Expectorant whereas of Indian Spinach is Astringent. Elephant Apple has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Elephant Apple vs Indian 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 Elephant Apple vs Indian 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 Elephant Apple are no allergic reactions whereas of Indian Spinach have no allergic reactions respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Apple has showy fruits and Indian Spinach has showy fruits. Also Elephant Apple is not flowering and Indian Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Elephant Apple and Indian Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.