Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent, Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Central America, South America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
princess of the night, Honolulu queen
Number of Varieties
1020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Desert, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-14
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12 - 10
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, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm250.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm40.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Light Pink, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Pink, Purple, Salmon, Violet
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
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 let dry out between waterings, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Alkaline, Neutral
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
Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Scale
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve hair condition, Improve skin condition
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Antioxidants, cholesterol-lowering, Fever, Heart problems, Itching, Menstrual Disorders, Rheumatism, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Stem
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Decoration Purposes, Economic Purpose, Employed in herbal medicine, Medicinal oil, Showy Purposes, 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
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CEREUS
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Night blooming cereus
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
cereus
In German
Indian Spinat
cereus
In French
épinards indienne
cereus
In Spanish
espinaca india
cereus
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
cereus
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
cereus
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
cereus
In Latin
Spinach Indian
cereus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Hylocereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
533
1
27800
👆🏻