Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Not available
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
10-15
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, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Not Available
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Red, Orange
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
White, Yellow, Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Spade shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Not Available
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Full Sun
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
No serious insect or disease problems
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Showy Bark
No
Not Available
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
Not Available
Ants, Bees, Flies, Not Available
Allergy
Not Available
Poisonous, poisonous if ingested, Skin irritation
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Skin Problems
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Insect Bites
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Sap, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Food for animals, Food for insects, Leaves are used as mosquito repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Alocasia brisbanensis
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Alocasia, Elephant Ear, native lily, cunjevoi
In German
Malabarspinat
Alocasia
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Alocasia
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Alocasia
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Alocasia
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Alocasia
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Alocasia
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Aglaonema
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Arales
Family
Basellaceae
Araceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Not Available
Colocasieae
Subfamily
Not Available
Aroideae
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Alocasia
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Alocasia. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Alocasia 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 Alocasia is Insect Bites. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Alocasia has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Alocasia
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 Alocasia 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 Not Available whereas of Alocasia have Poisonous, poisonous if ingested and 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 Alocasia has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Alocasia is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Alocasia facts and facts of other plants too.