Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-9
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, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm17.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Butterfly shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, 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
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Carminative, Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
BAUHINIA purpurea
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
In Hindi
पोई
Butterfly tree
In German
Malabarspinat
Schmetterlings- Baum
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
arbre de papillon
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
árbol de la mariposa
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
δέντρο πεταλούδα
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
árvore borboleta
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
drzewo Butterfly
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Gloria ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Basella
Bauhinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Cercideae
Subfamily
-
Caesalpinioideae
Number of Species
60500
1
27800
👆🏻