Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Heliotropium
Number of Varieties
10250
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Coastal Regions, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
10-1
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, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm66.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm61.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
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, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Aphids, Mealybugs, Spider mites, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Sore throat, Uterine Displacement
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Whole plant
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Decoration Purposes, Making Perfumes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for bedding in gardens
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HELIOTROPIUM arborescens
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Heliotrope, Common Heliotrope, Garden Heliotrope
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
हेलीओट्रोप
In German
Indian Spinat
Heliotrop
In French
épinards indienne
héliotrope
In Spanish
espinaca india
heliotropo
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
ηλιοτρόπιο
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
heliotrópio
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
heliotrop
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Heliotrope
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Basella
Heliotropium
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Heliotropioideae
Number of Species
5250
1
27800
👆🏻