Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Palmetto
Number of Varieties
1014
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Floodplains, Lowland, River side, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-6
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, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Chocolate, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Olive, Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Circular, dissected, long and linear
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
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
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
Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the 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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly 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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Asthma, Baldness, Cold, Cough, Migraines, Sore throat
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, 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
Bog Garden, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
SABAL minor
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Bush Palmetto, Dwarf Palmetto, Little Blue Stem, Swamp Palmetto
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
बौना पल्मेट्टो
In German
Indian Spinat
Zwerg Palmetto
In French
épinards indienne
Palmetto nain
In Spanish
espinaca india
Palmetto enano
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Νάνος Palmetto
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Palmetto anão
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Dwarf Palmetto
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Pumilio Palmetto
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Arecales
Family
Basellaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Basella
Sabal
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
514
1
27800
👆🏻