Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Osmanthus fragrans
Number of Varieties
1030
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Lowland, shaded fields, Shaded sites, Slopes, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-99
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 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Dark Blue, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water deeply about once a week
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, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Do not prune during shooting season, No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Pests and diseases free
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Antioxidants
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Culinary use, Used for fragrance, Used for producing cooking oil, Used as a spice
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
OSMANTHUS delavayi
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Sweet Olive
Tea Olive
Fragrant Olive
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
चाय ओलिव
In German
Indian Spinat
Tea Olive
In French
épinards indienne
Tea Olive
In Spanish
espinaca india
té verde oliva
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
τσάι Ελιάς
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
Tea Olive
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
Herbata z oliwek
In Latin
Spinach Indian
Tea Olive
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Oleaceae
Genus
Basella
Osmanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
530
1
27800
👆🏻