Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Nepal
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Rubber Plant, Rubber Fig
Number of Varieties
1060
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
agricultural areas, Along Railroads, Coastal Regions, Forests, Roadsides, Scrubs, Suburban areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-10
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, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Red, Dark Green, Crimson
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Elliptic to oblong
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
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering
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
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
Prune for shortening long shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
don't fertilize in winter
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Mealybugs, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Yellow Leaves
Plant Tolerance
Drought
-
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Asthma, breathing problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Latex
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Making rubber, Making tyres
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
FICUS elastica
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Rubber Plant
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
रबड़ का पौधा
In German
Indian Spinat
Ficus elastica
In French
épinards indienne
Ficus elastica
In Spanish
espinaca india
ficus
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
ελαστικός φίκος
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
fábrica de borracha
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
gumy roślin
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Flexilis herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Rosales
Family
Basellaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Basella
Ficus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Ficeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5800
1
27800
👆🏻