Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
United States, Canada
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
1010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Cultivated Beds, Dappled Shade, Woodland Garden Canopy, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
9-1
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
-
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Green, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Dark Purple
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Obtuse
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Average Water Needs
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Prune in summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Cadmium fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Mosaic viruses, Yellow Leaves
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Small mammals
Allergy
-
Abdominal pain, allergic reaction, cramps, Diarrhea, Nausea, Spasms, Toxic, Toxic if not prepared properly, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Anodyne, anti-inflammatory, Antirheumatic, Arthritis, Curing mumps and measles, Homeopathy
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used as an insecticide, Used for its medicinal properties, Used for making soaps, Used in making blue ink
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Wildflower
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PHYTOLACCA americana
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Pokeberry
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
POKEBERRY
In German
Indian Spinat
Kermesbeere
In French
épinards indienne
POKEBERRY
In Spanish
espinaca india
Pokeberry
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
POKEBERRY
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
POKEBERRY
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
alkiermes
In Latin
Spinach Indian
pokeberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Phytolaccaceae
Genus
Basella
Phytolacca
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
535
1
27800
👆🏻