Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Number of Varieties
101
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
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, 13, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Twisted/Contorted
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Crimson, Copper
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Compound
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial 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
Summer, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
occasional watering once established
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, Partial Sun
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
Red blotch
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
-
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
BURSERA simaruba
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Bursera simaruba
In German
Indian Spinat
Bursera simaruba
In French
épinards indienne
Bursera simaruba
In Spanish
espinaca india
Bursera simaruba
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Bursera simaruba
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Bursera simaruba
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Bursera simaruba
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Bursera simaruba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Angiosperms
Class
-
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Basellaceae
Burseraceae
Genus
Basella
Bursera
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
510
1
27800
👆🏻