Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Oriental spruce, Bog spruce, Weeping spruce
Number of Varieties
108
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Moist Soils, Slopes, Swamps, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99991-6
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
6-1
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
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm3,000.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Sea Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, 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 over Water, Requires regular 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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Pinch Tips, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
anti-inflammatory, Disinfectant, Kidney problems, Odontalgic, Poultice, Salve, Stomachic, tuberculosis, Vulnerary
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Inner Bark, Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Disinfectant, Gum, Paper pulp, Pitch, String, Used as a dye, Used in paper industry, Waterproofing
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PICEA mariana
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Black Spruce Tree
In German
Indian Spinat
Schwarz Fichte
In French
épinards indienne
Noir Épicéa
In Spanish
espinaca india
Negro árbol de abeto
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Μαύρο Spruce Tree
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Árvore Spruce Preto
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Czarny Świerk Drzewo
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Niger abiegnis
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Coniferophyta
Class
-
Pinopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Pinales
Family
Basellaceae
Pinaceae
Genus
Basella
Picea
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Pinoideae
Number of Species
535
1
27800
👆🏻