Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Ornamental Tree
Number of Varieties
1030
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Slopes, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99992-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
7-1
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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,520.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Light Yellow, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Egg-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
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
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
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Cold, Cough, Gout, Laxative, Rheumatism, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves, Wood
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Animal Feed, Sometimes used for making wine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
BETULA papyrifera
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Paper Birch
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Paper birch
In German
Indian Spinat
Papierbirke
In French
épinards indienne
Le bouleau à papier
In Spanish
espinaca india
abedul de papel
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
σημύδα χαρτί
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
vidoeiro de papel
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
brzoza papieru
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Paper betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fagales
Family
Basellaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Basella
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
560
1
27800
👆🏻