Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
Number of Varieties
10150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Cold Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
-
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Red, 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
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Lanceolate to elliptical
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Light Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
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
Keep ground moist, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
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, Beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Light Frost
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
-
Birds, pollinators
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Farmland, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
-
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Acts as a natural source of rain water for birds and insects., Beneficial species for attracting pollinators
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
VIBURNUM rhytidophyllum
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
leatherleaf plant
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Leatherleaf Viburnum
In German
Indian Spinat
Runzelblättriger Schneeball
In French
épinards indienne
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
In Spanish
espinaca india
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Kalina sztywnolistna
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Kalina sztywnolistna
In Latin
Spinach Indian
leatherleaf viburnum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Dipsacales
Family
Basellaceae
Caprifoliaceae
Genus
Basella
Viburnum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5150
1
27800
👆🏻