Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Habitat
gardens
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
6-10
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, 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
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
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
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Round
Needle like
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Needs small amount of water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
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
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
-
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
-
drowsiness, Scratches
Aesthetic Uses
-
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
सुई ताड़
In German
Indian Spinat
Nadel -Palme
In French
épinards indienne
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
espinaca india
palmera aguja
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Igła palma
In Latin
Spinach Indian
acus palma
Order
Caryophyllales
Arecales
Family
Basellaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Basella
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Importance of Indian Spinach and Needle Palm
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Indian Spinach and Needle Palm. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Indian Spinach and Needle Palm as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Indian Spinach is Astringent whereas of Needle Palm is Aging and Frostbite. Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Needle Palm has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Indian Spinach vs Needle Palm
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Indian Spinach vs Needle Palm and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Indian Spinach are whereas of Needle Palm have drowsiness and Scratches respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Indian Spinach has showy fruits and Needle Palm has showy fruits. Also Indian Spinach is not flowering and Needle Palm is not flowering . You can compare Indian Spinach and Needle Palm facts and facts of other plants too.