Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada, Mexico
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Ratibida columnifera
Number of Varieties
1025
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Dry areas, Prairies, Rocky areas, rocky outcrops
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99993-10
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow, Purple, Burgundy, Light Green, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Subulate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Average Water Needs, Water in morning to avoid prompting diseases
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Rhinitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Analgesic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Used in making tea
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
RATIBIDA columnifera
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Mexican Hat
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Mexican Hat
In German
Indian Spinat
Mexican Hat
In French
épinards indienne
Mexican Hat
In Spanish
espinaca india
mexican Hat
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Mexican Hat
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Mexican Hat
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Mexican Hat
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Mexicanus Hat
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Asterales
Family
Basellaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Basella
Ratibida
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
514
1
27800
👆🏻