Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Eastern Asia
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Darjeeling Red , Donald Lowndes , Superba
Number of Varieties
1035
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
High elevation
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
9-5
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Bi-lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Light Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Layering, Root Division, Softwood cuttings, 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
Never Over-water
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
Average
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 branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Fungal leaf spots
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Diarrhea, Stomach pain
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
along a porch, deck or patio, bank hedging, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
bowel syndrome, Gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Root, Root bark
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PERSICARIA microcephala 'Dragon's Eye'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Dragon's Eye Fleeceflower, Fleeceflower
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
fleeceflower
In German
Indian Spinat
fleeceflower
In French
épinards indienne
fleeceflower
In Spanish
espinaca india
Polygonum affine
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
fleeceflower
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
fleeceflower
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
fleeceflower
In Latin
Spinach Indian
fleeceflower
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Vascular plant
Class
-
Agaricomycetes
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Polygonaceae
Genus
Basella
Periscaria
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
550
1
27800
👆🏻