Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fern
Vegetable
Origin
South America, Southern Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
305
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bog Garden, Boggy areas, Swamps
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12*7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Odd Pinnate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Shade, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Fall, Spring, Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
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
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Shade, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune for size control
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Does not require fertilizer once established
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Drought
Flowers
-
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Deers, Scale Insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Formal Garden, Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
useful as a ground cover
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Foundation, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
RUMOHRA adiantiformis
BASELLA alba
Common Name
leatherleaf fern
leathery shieldfern
iron fern
7-weeks-fern
climbing shield fern
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
leatherleaf
पोई
In German
Leatherleaf
Malabarspinat
In French
Leatherleaf
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
leatherleaf
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Leatherleaf
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
leatherleaf
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Leatherleaf
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Leatherleaf
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Polypodiopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Polypodiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Dryopteridaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Rumohra
Basella
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
5060
1
27800
👆🏻