Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central America, Mexico, North America
Types
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Neck, Really Big Hybrid, Waltham
Number of Varieties
105
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-11
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
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
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm7.62 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
Peach, Tan
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, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Requires regular watering
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
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
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove the old foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced organic fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphate
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Mites
Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Dry root rot, Fusarium leaf spot, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Bees
Allergy
-
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Good for skin and hair
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Cardiovascular problems, cholesterol-lowering, constipation, Diabetes, Fiber, High blood pressure, High cholestrol, Immunity, Manganese, Obesity, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
For making oil, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CUCURBITA pepo 'White Crown of Thorns'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Winter Squash
In Hindi
भारतीय पालक
कोंहड़ा
In German
Indian Spinat
Winter squash
In French
épinards indienne
courges d'hiver
In Spanish
espinaca india
calabaza de invierno
In Greek
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
σκουός χειμώνα
In Portuguese
espinafre indiano
abóbora
In Polish
Indyjski szpinak
dynia
In Latin
Spinach Indian
cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Violales
Family
Basellaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Basella
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
527
1
27800
👆🏻