Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Cactus
  
Vegetable
  
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
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
  
12*7
  
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
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
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
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Not Applicable
  
Heart-shaped
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
All year
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial shade, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Growth Rate
Medium
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Sand, Sandy
  
Clay, Loam
  
The pH of Soil
Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Sandy
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
All year
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
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 Plants
  
  
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
  
  
Soil pH
Neutral
  
Neutral
  
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
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
Yes
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Bold
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
Yes
  
Yes
  
Invasive
No
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Ants, Mealybugs
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Unknown
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Ornamental use
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
No Beauty Benefits
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
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
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
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.