Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Vegetable
Origin
America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Lobelia aberdarica, Lobelia leschenaultiana, Lobelia canbyi
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Open areas, River side, Woods
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
Not Available
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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Blue, Red, Violet, White
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Not Available
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Cushion
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Fall, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Well drained
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Fall, Early Summer, Late Summer, Mid fall, Mid Spring
Not Available
Tolerances
Not Available
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather, Water twice a day in the initial period
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 Type
Well drained
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Prune after flowering, Prune to control growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Botrytis Blight, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Stem spot
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
Not Available
Allergy
coma, convulsions, Diarrhea, exhaustion, Nausea, salivation, Vomiting, weakness
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Bronchitis, Croup
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Bog Garden, Edging, Foundation, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Lobelia laxiflora
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Lobelia
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Lobelie
Malabarspinat
In French
Lobelia
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Lobelia
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
λοβηλία
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Lobélia
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Lobelia
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Lobelia
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Anthophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Dicotyledonae
Eudicotyledones
Order
Asterales
Caryophyllales
Family
Campanulaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Lobelioideae
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Lobelia and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Lobelia and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Lobelia and Malabar Spinach as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Lobelia is Asthma, Bronchitis and Croup whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Lobelia has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Lobelia vs Malabar Spinach
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Lobelia vs Malabar Spinach and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Lobelia are coma, convulsions, Diarrhea, exhaustion, Nausea, salivation, Vomiting and weakness whereas of Malabar Spinach have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Lobelia has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Lobelia is flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Lobelia and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.