Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Northern America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Persian lilac, Dwarf Korean lilac, Tree lilacs, Chinese lilac, Himalayan lilac
Number of Varieties
101000
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Roadsides, Rocky areas, Thickets
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99993-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
8-1
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
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm10.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm9.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Blue, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Lemon yellow, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting, 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 the ground moist but not water-logged, Over-watering can cause leaf problems or root diseases, Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Requires a lot of watering, Water twice a day in the initial period, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Prune after flowering, Prune prior to new growth, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Powdery mildew, Slugs, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Double
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
-
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Eye irritation, Itchy eyes, Runny nose
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Fever, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Air freshner, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for fragrance
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Cutflower, Edging, Mixed Border, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Syringa
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Lilac
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
बकाइन
In German
Indian Spinat
Flieder
In French
épinards indienne
lilas
In Spanish
espinaca india
lila
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
πασχαλιά
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
lilás
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
liliowy
In Latin
Spinach Indian
lilac
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Oleaceae
Genus
Basella
Syringa
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Oleeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
512
1
27800
👆🏻