Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
103
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-9
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
H2, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Maple shaped
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
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, 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
Aphids, Insects
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Moisturizing, used as a dye
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Cramps, Dermatitis
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Sauces, Used as firewood
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ALEURITES moluccanus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Aleurites moluccanus
In German
Indian Spinat
Lichtnussbaum
In French
épinards indienne
Aleurites moluccana
In Spanish
espinaca india
Aleurites moluccanus
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Aleurites moluccanus
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Nogueira-de-iguape
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Nogueira-de-iguape
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Aleurites moluccanus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Angiosperms
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Euphorbiales
Family
Basellaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Basella
Aleurites
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Aleuritideae
Subfamily
-
Crotonoideae
Number of Species
550
1
27800
👆🏻