Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Asia, India, China
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
655
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates, Warmer regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-4
12*7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
910.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Ivory
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Gold, Tan
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Green, 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
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Less Watering
Average Water
In Spring
Adequately
Moderate
In Winter
Ample Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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
Don't prune in winter, No pruning needed in the early stages
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize three times a year, very little fertilizers at a time
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Caterpillars, Scale, Spider mites
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Heart problems, Skin Disorders, Vitamin C
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DIMOCARPUS longan
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Longan
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Longan
पोई
In German
Longan
Malabarspinat
In French
longane
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Longan
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Longan
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Longan
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Longan
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Longan
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Sapindales
Caryophyllales
Family
Sapindaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Dimocarpus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6560
1
27800
👆🏻