Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China, Korea
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Castanea mollissima
Number of Varieties
1020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
disturbed sites, Forest edges
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
8-1
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
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Light Green, Chartreuse
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Yellow, Gold, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
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
Do Not over Water, Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Adequately
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, 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
Prune in fall, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Beetles, Leafhoppers
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
-
-
Allergy
-
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Low calories, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Food for animals, Used as firewood, Used As Food, Used in biomass
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CASTANEA mollissima
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Chinese Chestnut
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
चीनी अखरोट
In German
Indian Spinat
chinesische Kastanie
In French
épinards indienne
châtaignier chinois
In Spanish
espinaca india
Castaño chino
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Κινέζικο κάστανο
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
castanha chinesa
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Kasztan chiński
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Chinese Chestnut
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fagales
Family
Basellaceae
Fagaceae
Genus
Basella
Castanea
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Gloxinieae
Subfamily
-
Cassidinae
Number of Species
515
1
27800
👆🏻