Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Madagascar
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
1050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
All sorts of environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-9
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, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
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
Indeterminate
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
Reduce watering in winter
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
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
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
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HYPOESTES phyllostachya
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Polka Dot Plant, Polkadot Plant
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Polka dot plant
In German
Indian Spinat
Tupfen-Anlage
In French
épinards indienne
Polka dot usine de
In Spanish
espinaca india
Planta de lunares
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Φυτό πουά
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Planta bolinhas
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Grochy roślin
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Facies dot herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Acanthaceae
Genus
Basella
Hypoestes
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ruellieae
Subfamily
-
Acanthoideae
Number of Species
550
1
27800
👆🏻