Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Russia
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Symphytum officinale (common comfrey), Symphytum asperum (rough comfrey)
Number of Varieties
102
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Cold Regions, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Red, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Oval
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
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Root Division, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
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
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Aphids, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shallow soil, Sun
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
-
Antibacterial, Peripheral Edema
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Beautiful Skin, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Asthma, Diarrhea, Obesity, Osteoarthritis
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves, Twigs
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Symphytum asperum
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Comfrey,Black Root, Blackwort, Bruisewort
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Blackwort
In German
Indian Spinat
Blackwort
In French
épinards indienne
Blackwort
In Spanish
espinaca india
Blackwort
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Blackwort
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Blackwort
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Blackwort
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Blackwort
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Basella
Symphytum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Boraginoideae
Number of Species
535
1
27800
👆🏻