Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico, Central America, South America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
-
Number of Varieties
1060
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Coastal Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999911-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-1
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, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
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
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Needs more water during establishment
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
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer, Compost
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Anthracnose, Aphids, Red blotch, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Stomach pain, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Used in parkland
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Reduce Bruises
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Shadow Tree, Soil protection
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Dehydration, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Nutrients, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Application in Handicrafts, Food for animals, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb, Vegetable
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Manilkara zapota
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
sapodilla , chikoo, Sapota
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
चीकू
In German
Indian Spinat
Breiapfelbaum
In French
épinards indienne
Sapotillier
In Spanish
espinaca india
chicle
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
sapodilla
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
sapodilla
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Pigwica właściwa, sapodilla
In Latin
Spinach Indian
sapodilla
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Ericales
Family
Basellaceae
Sapotaceae
Genus
Basella
Abelia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Sapoteae
Subfamily
-
Sapotoideae
Number of Species
5134
1
27800
👆🏻