Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Oriental spruce, Bog spruce, Weeping spruce
Number of Varieties
58
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Moist Soils, Slopes, Swamps, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99991-6
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
6-1
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
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm3,000.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Sea Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Blue Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, 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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Pinch Tips, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
anti-inflammatory, Disinfectant, Kidney problems, Odontalgic, Poultice, Salve, Stomachic, tuberculosis, Vulnerary
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Inner Bark, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Disinfectant, Gum, Paper pulp, Pitch, String, Used as a dye, Used in paper industry, Waterproofing
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PICEA mariana
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce
In Hindi
पोई
Black Spruce Tree
In German
Malabarspinat
Schwarz Fichte
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Noir Épicéa
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Negro árbol de abeto
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Μαύρο Spruce Tree
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Árvore Spruce Preto
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Czarny Świerk Drzewo
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Niger abiegnis
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Coniferophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Pinopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Pinales
Family
Basellaceae
Pinaceae
Genus
Basella
Picea
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Pinoideae
Number of Species
6035
1
27800
👆🏻