Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Latin America and the Caribbean
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Heliconiaceae
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
19410
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates, Warmer regions
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Thicket/Colonizing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Orange Red
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red, Orange
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Micropropagation
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
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
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Fertilize every two months
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red blotch, Soft scales
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Salt
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Insects
-
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Healing
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Root, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Florist trade and landscaping
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
HELICONIA psittacorum 'Lady Di'
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Heliconia, Lady Di Heliconia, Parakeet Flower
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Heliconia
भारतीय पालक
In German
Heliconia
Indian Spinat
In French
Heliconia
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Heliconia
espinaca india
In Greek
Heliconia
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Heliconia
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Heliconia
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Heliconia
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Zingiberales
Caryophyllales
Family
Heliconiaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Heliconia
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1985
1
27800
👆🏻