Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Africa, Asia, Polynesia, Australia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
assera , caerulea , cinerascens , petasmatodes
Number of Varieties
57
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
mild coastal areas, Upland sandy savannas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
-
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
8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm40.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Blue, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Blue, Violet
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Blue Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Narrow
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
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance, Light Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground
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 plenty of water during the growing season
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Crown rot, Fungal leaf spots
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance, Light Frost
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
-
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillar
Allergy
-
breathing problems, Dizziness, poisonous if ingested
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
along a porch, deck or patio, Showy Purposes, small hedge, Wild gardens
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
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
DIANELLA caerulea
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Blue Flax Lily, Blueberry Lily, Paroo Lily
In Hindi
पोई
blue flax lily
In German
Malabarspinat
blau Flachs Lilie
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Dianella caerulea
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Dianella caerulea
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Dianella caerulea
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
blue flax lily
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
blue flax lily
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
blue flax lily
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Monocots
Order
Caryophyllales
Asparagales
Family
Basellaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Basella
Dianella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
607
1
27800
👆🏻