Life Span
Perennial
Annual or Biennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico, Central America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Mexican potato,Mexican yam bean
Number of Varieties
10-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
agricultural areas, Moist Soils, Wet ground
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-8
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, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Heart-shaped
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
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry soil, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Keep ground moist
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
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
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Beetles, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas, Shallow 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies, Mice
Allergy
-
Irritation to stomach, Itchiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin tone
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Soil protection
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Cold, Fever, Inflammation
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Bulbs, Root
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PACHYRHIZUS erosus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Mexican Yam bean
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Pachyrhizus erosus
In German
Indian Spinat
Yambohne
In French
épinards indienne
Kłębian kątowaty
In Spanish
espinaca india
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Pachyrhizus erosus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Angiosperms
Class
-
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Basella
Pachyrhizus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5100
1
27800
👆🏻