Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
India, China
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Bead tree
Number of Varieties
103
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Forest margins, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-7
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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, 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
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Pollution, Soil Compaction, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Average Water Needs, Medium, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water daily during growing season, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Ample Water
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize every year, fertilize in growing season, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Insects, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Variety of soil types
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Absorbs greenhouse gases, Absorbs huge amounts of CO2, Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Erosion control, Food for birds, Food for insects, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree, Shelter for wildlife, Soil protection, soil stabilisation, Used to establish native woodland, Very little waste, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Seeds, Stem, Tree trunks
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Air freshner, Showy Purposes, Used as firewood, Used as Ornamental plant, Wood is used for making furniture, Wood is used for ship building, Wood is used fore making tools, Wood is used in construction, Wood log is used in making fences
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Shade Trees
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
MELIA azedarach
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Chinaberry Tree
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Chinaberry ट्री
In German
Indian Spinat
Chinaberry -Baum
In French
épinards indienne
Chinaberry Arbre
In Spanish
espinaca india
Chinaberry Arbre
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
chinaberry Δέντρο
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
azederaque
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
azederaque
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Chinaberry ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Basellaceae
Meliaceae
Genus
Basella
Melia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melieae
Subfamily
-
Meloideae
Number of Species
550
1
27800
👆🏻