Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Gymnocalycium alboareolatum , Gymnocalycium amerhauseri , Gymnocalycium andreae
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Desert, Semi desert
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-12
Not Available
Sunset Zone
13,21,22,23,24
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
Flower Color
creamy white, Light Pink, Not Available, Pink
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Pink
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Not Available
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Not Applicable
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
All year
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial shade, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Sand, Sandy
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Sandy
Well drained
Bloom Time
All year
Not Available
Tolerances
Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Offsets
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
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 Type
Sandy
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Dry
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
No need to prune
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Mealy bugs, Root rot
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Ants, Mealybugs
Not Available
Allergy
Unknown
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Ornamental use
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
No Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
No Medicinal Use
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Showy Tree
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
GYMNOCALYCIUM
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Chin Cactus
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Gymnocalycium
पोई
In German
Gymnocalycium
Malabarspinat
In French
Gymnocalycium
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Gymnocalycium
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Gymnocalycium
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Gymnocalycium
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Gymnocalycium
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Gymnocalycium
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Gymnocalycium
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Trichocereeae
Not Available
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Gymnocalycium and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Gymnocalycium and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Gymnocalycium 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 Gymnocalycium is No Medicinal Use whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Gymnocalycium has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits.
Compare Facts of Gymnocalycium 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 Gymnocalycium 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 Gymnocalycium are Unknown whereas of Malabar Spinach have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Gymnocalycium has showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Gymnocalycium is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Gymnocalycium and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.