Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial, Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
-
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Echinocereus reichenbachii albertii, Echinocereus reichenbachii fitchii, Echinocereus reichenbachii albispinus
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
910
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Grassland
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-7
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
-
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
5.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Dark Green, Olive
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
-
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
-
Neutral
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Neutral
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Dispose of diseased portions, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Scale insects
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flowers
-
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
-
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Echinocereus reichenbachii
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Hedgehog Cactus, Lace
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Hedgehog cactus
भारतीय पालक
In German
Igel Kaktus
Indian Spinat
In French
hérisson cactus
épinards indienne
In Spanish
cactus de erizo
espinaca india
In Greek
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
hedgehog cactus
espinafre indiano
In Polish
jeż kaktus
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
cactus
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Echinocereus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Pachycereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
2085
1
27800
👆🏻