Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Habitat
gardens
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
5-7
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
-
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
करेला
In German
Indian Spinat
Bittermelone
In French
épinards indienne
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
espinaca india
Momordica charantia
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
-
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Momordica
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Przepękla ogórkowata
In Latin
Spinach Indian
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Violales
Family
Basellaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Indian Spinach and Bitter Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Indian Spinach and Bitter Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Indian Spinach and Bitter Gourd as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Indian Spinach is Astringent whereas of Bitter Gourd is Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders and Weight loss. Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Bitter Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Indian Spinach vs Bitter Gourd
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Indian Spinach vs Bitter Gourd and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Indian Spinach are whereas of Bitter Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm and Miscarriage respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Indian Spinach has showy fruits and Bitter Gourd has showy fruits. Also Indian Spinach is not flowering and Bitter Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Indian Spinach and Bitter Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.