Life Span
Annual
  
Perennial
  
Type
Vegetable
  
Vegetable
  
Origin
Europe, Northern Africa, Asia
  
Southeastern Asia, India
  
Types
not available
  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
  
Habitat
Floodplains, Not Available, Shores of rivers or lakes
  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
  
12*7
  
Sunset Zone
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
  
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
Rosette/Stemless
  
Vining/Climbing
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
White, Lavender
  
Red, Green, Orange Red
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Not Available
  
White, Ivory
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
  
Green, Light Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Not Available
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Elliptic to oblong
  
Heart-shaped
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Not Available
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Growth Rate
Fast
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
  
Clay, Loam
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
  
Ground
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings
  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Keep the Soil well drained, Medium, Requires regular watering
  
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Average Water
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
  
Clay, Loam
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
  
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Nitrogen
  
Pests and Diseases
Not Available
  
Aphids
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Yes
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
Yes
  
Invasive
Sometimes
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Butterflies, Flying insects, Insects, Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
No Medicinal Use
  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
  
Leaves
  
Other Uses
Added to salads, Used As Food
  
Used As Food
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable
  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
  
Botanical Name
VALERIANELLA locusta
  
BASELLA alba
  
Common Name
Mache, corn salad, common cornsalad, lamb's lettuce, fetticus, fieldsalat, nut lettuce, field salad,rapunzel
  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
  
In Hindi
Lamb's Lettuce
  
पोई
  
In German
Feldsalat
  
Malabarspinat
  
In French
Mâche
  
L’épinard de Malabar
  
In Spanish
Miramores
  
espinaca de Malabar
  
In Greek
Μαρούλι αρνιού
  
Malabar Σπανάκι
  
In Portuguese
Alface-de-cordeiro
  
Malabar espinafre
  
In Polish
Roszpunka
  
Szpinak Malabar
  
In Latin
Lactuca agni
  
Spinach Malabar
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Eudicotyledones
  
Order
Dipsacales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Valerianaceae
  
Basellaceae
  
Genus
Valerianella
  
Basella
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Valerianeae
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Valerianoideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Not Available