Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
10700
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
8-5
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
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
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
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Ammonium Nitrate
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CALLUNA vulgaris
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Heather, Common heather, Ling
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
हीथ
In German
Indian Spinat
Heidekraut
In French
épinards indienne
bruyère
In Spanish
espinaca india
brezo
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
ερείκη
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
urze
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
wrzos
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Ericales
Family
Basellaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Basella
Calluna
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ericeae
Subfamily
-
Ericoideae
Number of Species
5860
1
27800
👆🏻