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Malabar Spinach
Malabar Spinach

African Iris
African Iris



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Malabar Spinach
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African Iris

Compare Malabar Spinach and African Iris

What is

Life Span

Perennial
Perennial

Type

Vegetable
Tender Perennial

Origin

Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Africa

Types

Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Perennial

Number of Varieties

550
0 40000
👆🏻

Habitat

Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions

USDA Hardiness Zone

-99998-10
0 99
👆🏻

AHS Heat Zone

12*7
10-8

Sunset Zone

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
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Habit

Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming

Information

Plant Size

Minimum Height

2.40 cm61.30 cm
0 3900
👆🏻

Minimum Width

24.00 cm30.50 cm
0 6350
👆🏻

Plant Color

Flower Color

Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown

Flower Color Modifier

Bicolor
Bicolor

Fruit Color

White, Ivory
Green, Brown

Leaf Color in Spring

Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green

Leaf Color in Summer

Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green

Leaf Color in Fall

Purple, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green

Leaf Color in Winter

Purple, Gray Green
Light Green

Shape

Leaf Shape

Heart-shaped
Grass like

Thorns

Season

Plant Season

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Growing Conditions

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade

Growth Rate

Fast
Medium

Type of Soil

Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand

The pH of Soil

Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline

Soil Drainage

Well drained
Average

Bloom Time

-
Indeterminate

Repeat Bloomer

Tolerances

Drought
Drought

Care

Where to Plant?

Ground
Container, Ground, Pot

How to Plant?

Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Rhizome division, Seedlings

Plant Maintenance

Medium
Medium

Watering Plants

Watering Requirements

Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires regular watering

In Summer

Average Water
Lots of watering

In Spring

Moderate
Moderate

In Winter

Average Water
Average Water

Soil

Soil pH

Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline

Soil Type

Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil Drainage Capacity

Well drained
Average

Sun Exposure

Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade

Pruning

Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves

Fertilizers

Nitrogen
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer

Pests and Diseases

Aphids
Nematodes, Scale

Plant Tolerance

Drought
Drought

Facts

Flowers

Showy
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
Matte

Evergreen

Invasive

Self-Sowing

Attracts

-
Bees, Birds, Butterflies

Allergy

-
Skin irritation

Benefits

Uses

Aesthetic Uses

-
Showy Purposes

Beauty Benefits

-
-

Edible Uses

Environmental Uses

Air purification
Ethnobotanic

Plant Benefits

Medicinal Uses

Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-

Part of Plant Used

Leaves
Root

Other Uses

Used As Food
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant

Used As Indoor Plant

Used As Outdoor Plant

Garden Design

Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens

Scientific Name

Botanical Name

BASELLA alba
DIETES bicolor

Common Name

Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
African iris, Fortnight lily

In Hindi

पोई
African Iris

In German

Malabarspinat
Afrikanische Iris

In French

L’épinard de Malabar
African Iris

In Spanish

espinaca de Malabar
Iris africano

In Greek

Malabar Σπανάκι
Αφρικανική Iris

In Portuguese

Malabar espinafre
Iris africano

In Polish

Szpinak Malabar
Afryki Iris

In Latin

Spinach Malabar
African Iris

Classification

Kingdom

Plantae
Plantae

Phylum

Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta

Class

Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida

Order

Caryophyllales
Asparagales

Family

Basellaceae
Iridaceae

Genus

Basella
Dietes

Clade

Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots

Tribe

-
Irideae

Subfamily

-
Iridoideae

Number of Species

60300
1 27800
👆🏻

Difference Between Malabar Spinach and African Iris

If you are confused whether Malabar Spinach or African Iris are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Malabar Spinach and African Iris Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Malabar Spinach are Nitrogen, whereas for African Iris fertilizers required are Any balanced general purpose fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Malabar Spinach and African Iris if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Malabar Spinach and African Iris

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and African Iris. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and African Iris 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 Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C whereas of African Iris is . Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while African Iris has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs African Iris

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 Malabar Spinach vs African Iris 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 Malabar Spinach are whereas of African Iris have Skin irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and African Iris has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and African Iris is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and African Iris facts and facts of other plants too.