Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Western Asia
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Blue Dune Lyme Grass
Number of Varieties
107
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Clay soil areas, Loamy soils, Sandy areas, sandy seeps, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
9 - 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
H1, H2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm75.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Creamy Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Root Division, Rooted stem cutting, 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, occasional watering once established
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune grass to maintain level
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Stem
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
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ELYMUS glaucus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Blue Lyme Grass, Blue Wildrye
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Blue Lyme Grass
In German
Indian Spinat
Blau Lyme Grass
In French
épinards indienne
Bleu Lyme Herbe
In Spanish
espinaca india
Azul hierba de Lyme
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Μπλε Lyme Grass
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Azul Lyme grama
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Niebieska Trawa Lyme
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Blue Lyme Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cyperales
Family
Basellaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Basella
Elymus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Triticeae
Subfamily
-
Pooideae
Number of Species
52
1
27800
👆🏻