Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
Habitat
gardens
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
12-15
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
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow, Magenta
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Pink, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
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
Needs good drainage, Needs very little water, Water carefully
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Edible Uses
Yes
Insignificant
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Blue barrel cactus
In German
Indian Spinat
Blau Faßkaktus
In French
épinards indienne
Bleu barrel cactus
In Spanish
espinaca india
biznaga Azul
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
cacto de tambor azul
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Blue Cactus
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Echinocactus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Indian Spinach and Blue Barrel
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Indian Spinach and Blue Barrel. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Indian Spinach and Blue Barrel 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 Blue Barrel is . Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Blue Barrel has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Indian Spinach vs Blue Barrel
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 Blue Barrel 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 Blue Barrel have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Indian Spinach has showy fruits and Blue Barrel has no showy fruits. Also Indian Spinach is not flowering and Blue Barrel is flowering. You can compare Indian Spinach and Blue Barrel facts and facts of other plants too.