Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Brazil
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
-10
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, subtropical regions
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
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
1,220.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
550.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory, Gray
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Magenta, Violet
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cuneate
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Wood
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for woodware, Wood is used for making furniture
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
TRIPLARIS americana
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Ant Stick, Macaw, St. Mary's Stick
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Macaw
भारतीय पालक
In German
Ara
Indian Spinat
In French
ara
épinards indienne
In Spanish
guacamayo
espinaca india
In Greek
μακώ
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
arara
espinafre indiano
In Polish
ara
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Ara
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Polygonaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Triplaris
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
-5
1
27800
👆🏻