Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Lagenaria siceraria
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
5-7
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
-
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Aesthetic Uses
-
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In German
Malabarspinat
Flaschenkürbis
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Cabaça
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
utrem cucurbita
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Basellaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Bottle Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Bottle Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Bottle Gourd 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 Bottle Gourd is Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive and Weight loss. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Bottle Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Bottle Gourd
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 Bottle Gourd 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 Bottle Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma and Irregular Heart Rhythm respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Bottle Gourd has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Bottle Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Bottle Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.