Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
210
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-7
Sunset Zone
-
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
-
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Ivory, White
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
-
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Average Water Needs
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
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, Apply 10-10-10 amount, Fertilzer with low nitrogen content
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
-
-
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Hatiora salicornioides
BASELLA alba
Common Name
dancing bones cactus, drunkard's dream, spice cactus
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Hatiora
भारतीय पालक
In German
Hatiora
Indian Spinat
In French
Hatiora
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Hatiora
espinaca india
In Greek
Hatiora
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Hatiora
espinafre indiano
In Polish
hatiora
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Hatiora
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Hatiora
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Rhipsalideae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
35
1
27800
👆🏻