Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbaceous Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Chile, Southeast Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
540
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Mountain forests, subtropical regions, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999911-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-5
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, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Dark Blue
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep ground moist, Keep the Soil well drained, 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, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
10-10-5, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Mealy bugs, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Bugs, Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bonsai, Borders, Landscape Designing, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Used As Food
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bonsai, Container, Hanging Basket, Landscape
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Begonia masoniana
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Angel's Wings, Butterfly Flower, Poor Man's Orchid
In Hindi
पोई
iron cross begonia
In German
Malabarspinat
Eisenkreuz Begonie
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
croix de fer bégonia
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
el hierro cruzado begonia
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
σταυρό μπιγκόνια σιδήρου
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
begônia cruz de ferro
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Iron Cross begonia
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
ferrum crucem Begonia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Basellaceae
Begoniaceae
Genus
Basella
Begonia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
601724
1
27800
👆🏻