Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, Micronesia
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Hannah Yams, Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Number of Varieties
10400
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Cold Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999911-12
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Purple, Light Green, Chartreuse, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Stem Cutting, Tuber propagation
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of water initially
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial 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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Aphids, Beetles, Leafminers, Red blotch
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Beetles, Mites, white worms
Allergy
-
Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves, Root, Shoots
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
IPOMOEA batatas
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Vine
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
शकरकंद
In German
Indian Spinat
Süßkartoffel
In French
épinards indienne
Patate douce
In Spanish
espinaca india
Batata
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
Γλυκοπατάτα
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Batata doce
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Słodki ziemniak
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Dulcis SOLANUM TUBEROSUM
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Solanales
Family
Basellaceae
Convolvulaceae
Genus
Basella
Ipomoea
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5400
1
27800
👆🏻