Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central America, South America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Tropical White , Tropical Pink , Mexican Cream (Tropical Yellow) , Red Malaysian ,Lemon Guava
Number of Varieties
105
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Subtropical climates, subtropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-11
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
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Yellow, Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Olive, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Olive, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Olive, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Olive, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Oval to egg shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Requires regular watering, Use and maintain water-efficient soaker hoses
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
cut main trunk every 5 years, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, herbicides
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Mealybugs, Red blotch, Scale, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, saturated soil
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, pollinators
Allergy
-
Constipation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, allergy clogging, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Good for skin and hair
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
anti hemorrhagic, Antibiotic, Digestive
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits, Whole plant
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PSIDIUM guajava 'Thai White'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
common guava, yellow guava, lemon guava
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
अमरूद
In German
Indian Spinat
Echte Guave
In French
épinards indienne
Goyavier
In Spanish
espinaca india
guayaba
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Goiabeira
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Goiabeira
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Gujawa pospolita
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Goiabeira
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Myrtales
Family
Basellaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Basella
Psidium guajava
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Myrteae
Subfamily
-
Myrtoideae
Number of Species
5100
1
27800
👆🏻