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Compare Giant Reed and Malabar Spinach


Malabar Spinach and Giant Reed


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Grass  
Vegetable  

Origin
Southern Europe  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
Arundo, Carrizo  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  

Number of Varieties
5  
5  

Habitat
Saline Soils, Sandy areas  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  

USDA Hardiness Zone
6-10  
-9999  

AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1  
12*7  

Sunset Zone
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
Upright/Erect  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
18.00 cm  
99+
2.40 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
150.00 cm  
99+
24.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
-  
Red, Green, Orange Red  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
-  
White, Ivory  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green  
Purple, Gray Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Linear  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
Yes  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

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
Average  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall  
-  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Salt  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Stem Planting  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering  
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  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  

Pruning
Do not prune during shooting season, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize in early spring  
Nitrogen  

Pests and Diseases
-  
Aphids  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
Sometimes  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds  
-  

Allergy
allergic conjunctivitis, flushing of face, wheezing  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bonsai  
-  

Beauty Benefits
Making cosmetics, Skin cleanser  
-  

Edible Uses
Sometimes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Agroforestry, Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree, soil stabilisation  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emmoiliant  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C  

Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap  
Leaves  

Other Uses
Basketary, Showy Purposes, Used in making musical instruments, Wood is used in construction  
Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
Sometimes  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical, Water Gardens  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
ARUNDO donax  
BASELLA alba  

Common Name
Giant Reed  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  

In Hindi
नरकट  
पोई  

In German
Pfahlrohr  
Malabarspinat  

In French
Arundo donax  
L’épinard de Malabar  

In Spanish
Arundo donax  
espinaca de Malabar  

In Greek
Arundo donax  
Malabar Σπανάκι  

In Portuguese
Cana-do-reino  
Malabar espinafre  

In Polish
Lasecznica trzcinowata  
Szpinak Malabar  

In Latin
Arundo donax  
Spinach Malabar  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Angiosperms  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Liliopsida  
Eudicotyledones  

Order
Cyperales  
Caryophyllales  

Family
Poaceae  
Basellaceae  

Genus
Arundo  
Basella  

Clade
Commelinids  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
3  
60  

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Difference Between Giant Reed and Malabar Spinach

If you are confused whether Giant Reed or Malabar Spinach are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Giant Reed and Malabar Spinach Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Giant Reed are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer and Fertilize in early spring, whereas for Malabar Spinach fertilizers required are Nitrogen. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Giant Reed and Malabar Spinach if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Giant Reed and Malabar Spinach

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Giant Reed and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Giant Reed 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 Giant Reed is Diaphoretic, Diuretic and Emmoiliant whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Giant Reed has beauty benefits as follows: Making cosmetics and Skin cleanser while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Making cosmetics and Skin cleanser.

Compare Facts of Giant Reed 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 Giant Reed 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 Giant Reed are allergic conjunctivitis, flushing of face and wheezing whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Giant Reed has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Giant Reed is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Giant Reed and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.

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