Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbs
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Asia
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Nepeta cataria
Number of Varieties
1020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Dry areas, Roadsides, stream banks, Stream side, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99993-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
7-1
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
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm980.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Arrowhead
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Dry soil
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water when soil is dry
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
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Caterpillars, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Frost
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Flying insects, Insects, Spider Mites
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Headache, Stomach pain, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Arthritis, Cold, constipation, Fever, Insomia, Migraines, Upset stomach
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Making Perfumes, Making Shampoo, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Medicinal oil, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
NEPETA cataria
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Cat Nip, Catnip
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
कटनीप
In German
Indian Spinat
Katzenminze
In French
épinards indienne
cataire
In Spanish
espinaca india
Catnip
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Είδος δυόσμου
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
catnip
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Kocimiętka
In Latin
Spinach Indian
catnip
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Basella
Nepeta
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Mentheae
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
5250
1
27800
👆🏻