Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Middle Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Perennial Grass
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-11
-9999
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12*7
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 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
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
-
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
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 pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
-
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Elefantengras
Malabarspinat
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
pasto elefante
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
elephanti herba
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Poales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Elephant Grass and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Grass and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Grass 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 Elephant Grass is Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders and Wounds whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Elephant Grass has beauty benefits as follows: while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Elephant Grass 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 Elephant Grass 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 Elephant Grass are Asthma and breathing problems whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Grass has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Elephant Grass is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Elephant Grass and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.