Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
Japan
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Hakonechloa macra, Hakone grass
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
455
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
meadows, Riverbanks, Wet Woods
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 5
12*7
Sunset Zone
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
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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue Violet
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Yellow, Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Orange, Yellow green, Orange Red
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry soil, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Consistently
Moderate
In Winter
Adequately
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune grass to maintain level, Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
organic fertlizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Shallow soil, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Beetles, Caterpillar
-
Allergy
allergic conjunctivitis, Asthma, Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Provides ground cover, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Aging, Laxative
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Showy Purposes
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Water Gardens
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
HAKONECHLOA macra 'Aureola'
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Golden Japanese Forest Grass, Hakone Grass
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
जापानी वन घास
पोई
In German
Japanische gras
Malabarspinat
In French
Forêt herbe japonaise
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
forestales hierba japonesa
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Ιαπωνικά γρασίδι δάσος
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
floresta grama japonês
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Japoński las lato
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Forest gramina Italica
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Monocots
Eudicotyledones
Order
Poales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Hachanechloa
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Arundinariinae
-
Number of Species
5060
1
27800
👆🏻