Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Canada
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
101
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Deciduous forests, Forest margins
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
8-1
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
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm2,130.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Gold, Light Green, Light Yellow, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Light Green, Sienna, Chocolate
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Cut back all stems to the same height, Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, Compost, General purpose liquid or granular fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Chestnut Blight
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Birds, Deers
Allergy
-
conjunctivitis, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Arthritis, Cough, Sore throat, Swelling
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Sap, Wood
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Decorative veneers, flooring, paneling, Used in Furniture, Used in pulpwood and lumber production
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CASTANEA dentata
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
American Chestnut
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
अमेरिकी शाहबलूत
In German
Indian Spinat
Amerikanische Kastanie
In French
épinards indienne
Châtaignier d'Amérique
In Spanish
espinaca india
Castanea dentata
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
american καστανιάς
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
castanea americana
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Kasztan amerykański
In Latin
Spinach Indian
English castaneis
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fagales
Family
Basellaceae
Fagaceae
Genus
Basella
Castanea
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
58
1
27800
👆🏻