Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Gasteria brachyphylla, Gasteria rawlinsonii
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Deciduous forests, River side, rocky banks of streams
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
-9999
Sunset Zone
13, 16, 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
Rosette/Stemless
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Coral
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Tongue shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Stem Planting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Less Watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Fusarium root rot, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat And Humidity
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Allergy
Irritation to intestines, Skin rash
-
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Good for the Scalp
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Blood disorders, Laxative
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Sap
Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Shampoo, Oil is used in mosquito repellents
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Sometimes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
GASTERIA
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Gasteria
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Gasteria
Malabarspinat
In French
Gasteria
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Gasteria
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Gasteria
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Gasteria
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Gasteria
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Gasteria
Spinach Malabar
Class
Monocots
Eudicotyledones
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Aloaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Subfamily
Asphodeloideae
-
Importance of Gasteria and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Gasteria and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Gasteria 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 Gasteria is Aging, Blood disorders and Laxative whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Gasteria has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles and Good for the Scalp while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles and Good for the Scalp.
Compare Facts of Gasteria 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 Gasteria 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 Gasteria are Irritation to intestines and Skin rash whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Gasteria has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Gasteria is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Gasteria and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.