Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
7005
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-5
12*7
Sunset Zone
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Skin inflammation
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
हीथ
पोई
In German
Heidekraut
Malabarspinat
In French
bruyère
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
brezo
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
ερείκη
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
urze
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
wrzos
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Heather
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Ericales
Caryophyllales
Family
Ericaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Calluna
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Ericeae
-
Subfamily
Ericoideae
-
Number of Species
86060
1
27800
👆🏻