Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Darjeeling Red , Donald Lowndes , Superba
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
3510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
High elevation
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-5
12-7
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
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
60.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Bi-lobed
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Light Frost
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Layering, Root Division, Softwood cuttings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Never Over-water
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, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Fungal leaf spots
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Diarrhea, Stomach pain
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, bank hedging, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
Skin irritation
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
bowel syndrome, Gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Root, Root bark
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
-
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PERSICARIA microcephala 'Dragon's Eye'
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Dragon's Eye Fleeceflower, Fleeceflower
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
fleeceflower
भारतीय पालक
In German
fleeceflower
Indian Spinat
In French
fleeceflower
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Polygonum affine
espinaca india
In Greek
fleeceflower
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
fleeceflower
espinafre indiano
In Polish
fleeceflower
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
fleeceflower
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
-
Class
Agaricomycetes
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Polygonaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Periscaria
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
505
1
27800
👆🏻