Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
California
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Ulva lactuca, Ulva intestinalis
Number of Varieties
103
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Coastal Regions, shores
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-11
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
9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow, Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Yellow green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Yellow green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Yellow green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Yellow green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Cone shaped to oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Sand
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
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Water slowly, and allow to dry completely between soakings
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
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilzer with low nitrogen content
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Fungal Diseases, Root rot
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Bone strength, Rich in Iron, Rich in protein
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used in salads, Used to flavour soups
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
DUDLEYA caespitosa
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Sealettuce, Sand lettuce, Coast dudleya
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
Sea Lettuce
In German
Indian Spinat
Meersalat
In French
épinards indienne
La laitue de mer
In Spanish
espinaca india
lechuga de mar
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
θάλασσα Μαρούλι
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
alface mar
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Sea sałata
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Lactuca mare
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Rosales
Family
Basellaceae
Crassulaceae
Genus
Basella
Dudleya
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Sedeae
Subfamily
-
Sedoideae
Number of Species
550
1
27800
👆🏻