Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Taonabo japonica, Cleyera ochnacea
Number of Varieties
105
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
secondary forest, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
-
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Bronze
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
Red, Dark Green, Bronze
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
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
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
Does not require lot of watering, occasional watering once established
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
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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Compost
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Downy mildew, Leaf rust, Phytophthora Root Rot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Humidity, Soil Compaction
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Fruit Bats, Snails, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Asthma, Nausea, Pollen, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Provides herbal hair care, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Insect Repellent, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Acne, Arthritis, Eczema, Oedema
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Application in Furniture, Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
TERNSTROEMIA gymnanthera
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Sakaki
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Sakaki
In German
Indian Spinat
Sperrstrauch
In French
épinards indienne
Sakaki
In Spanish
espinaca india
Sakaki
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Sakaki
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Sakaki
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Sakaki
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Sakaki
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Theales
Family
Basellaceae
Theaceae
Genus
Basella
Cleyera
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
518
1
27800
👆🏻