Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Africa
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Fonzy melon
Number of Varieties
10-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-4
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
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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
White, Yellow, Gold, Tan, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Water Deeply, when new, water every week
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
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
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
-
-
Allergy
-
Asthma, Eczema, Headache, Itchy eyes, Sore eyes
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin condition, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Eye Problems, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Employed in herbal medicine, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CUCUMIS melo 'Amy'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Canary Melon
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
कैनरी तरबूज
In German
Indian Spinat
Canary Melon
In French
épinards indienne
Melon Canaries
In Spanish
espinaca india
Melón Canarias
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Κανάριοι Πεπόνι
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Canary Melon
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Canary Melon
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Canary cucumis
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Streptophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Basellaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Basella
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
51
1
27800
👆🏻