Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
1025
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-9
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
H1, H2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Olive, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Fall, Late Fall, Early Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Budding, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Average Water Needs, Do not water frequently, Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K, Phosphorous
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Dry Conditions
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders, Cottage Garden, Used in parkland
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Cough, Rheumatism
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CORDIA boissieri
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Anacahuita, Texas Olive
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Anacahuita
In German
Indian Spinat
Anacahuita
In French
épinards indienne
anacahuita
In Spanish
espinaca india
anacahuita
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Anacahuita
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Anacahuita
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Anacahuita
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Anacahuita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Boraginales
Family
Basellaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Basella
Cordia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5300
1
27800
👆🏻