Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Brazil
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Echinopsis pachanoi
Number of Varieties
1010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
shrublands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999912-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-10
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
12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Keep ground moist, Keep immersed in water, Requires more often in extreme heat
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
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 to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
6-12-12 or 5-10-10
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Mealybugs, Red spider mite, Scale insects, Slugs, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
drowsiness, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Decorating walls, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Aphrodisiac, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
extracted oil
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ECHINOPSIS pachanoi
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
San Pedro
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
सैन पेड्रो
In German
Indian Spinat
Echinopsis pachanoi
In French
épinards indienne
Echinopsis pachanoi
In Spanish
espinaca india
Echinopsis pachanoi
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
San Pedro κάκτος
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Wachuma
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
San pedro (kaktus)
In Latin
Spinach Indian
San Pedro
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Echinopsis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Trichocereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
536
1
27800
👆🏻