Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Nepal, China
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Orange bottlebrush ginger, Kahili ginger, Cream garland-lily
Number of Varieties
510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Forest edges, Moist Soils, Riverbanks, Swamps, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
10-7
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
H1, H2, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm152.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Red, Orange
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light 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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Requires consistently moist soil, Water Deeply
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
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize every week
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
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
Abdominal Disease, Anthelmintic, Antirheumatic, Carminative, Chest pain, Febrifuge, Joint pain, Stomachic, Tonic, Tonsillitis
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Garland, Paper pulp, Used as essential oil, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in paper industry
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HEDYCHIUM coronarium
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Butterfly Ginger, Butterfly Lily, White Garland Lily
In Hindi
पोई
Butterfly Ginger Plant
In German
Malabarspinat
Schmetterling Ingwerpflanze
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Papillon Ginger Plante
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Planta de jengibre de la mariposa
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Πεταλούδα Τζίντζερ φυτών
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Borboleta Ginger planta
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Butterfly Ginger roślin
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Gingiber Plantae Gloria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Zingiberales
Family
Basellaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Basella
Hedychium
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Zingibereae
Subfamily
-
Zingiberoideae
Number of Species
6080
1
27800
👆🏻