Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
-
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
1205
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-12-9999
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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
35.60 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Mouth itching, Throat itching, Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Indoor Air Purification, Very little waste
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Rheumatism
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Rhizomes
Leaves
Other Uses
Leaves used for wrapping food
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
HOMALOMENA Wallisii
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Homalomena
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Homalomena
पोई
In German
Homalomena
Malabarspinat
In French
Homalomena
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Homalomena
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Homalomena
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
homalomena
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Homalomena
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Homalomena
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Arales
Caryophyllales
Family
Araceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Homalomena
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
12260
1
27800
👆🏻