Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
1025
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Alpine Meadows, moist forests, Open areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
9-1
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm25.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm20.30 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Layering, Root Division, Stem Cutting
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, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
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
cut main flower spike, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, remove old stems before spring
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
chrysanthemum eelworms, Slugs, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Ornamental use, Water gardening
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
-
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, deer resistant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PENSTEMON barbatus 'Elfin Pink'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Beardlip Penstemon, Elfin Pink Penstemon
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Elfin Pink Penstemon
In German
Indian Spinat
Elfin Pink Penstemon
In French
épinards indienne
Elfin Pink Penstemon
In Spanish
espinaca india
Elfin Pink Penstemon
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Elfin Pink Penstemon
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Elfin Penstemon -de-rosa
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Elfin Różowy Penstemon
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Elfin Pink Penstemon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Angiosperms
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Basella
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5250
1
27800
👆🏻