Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
9-11
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, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Egg-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
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
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Buttonbush
In Hindi
पोई
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Malabarspinat
Button Strauch
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Frutex Buttonbush
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Rubiales
Family
Basellaceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Basella
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Buttonbush
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Buttonbush. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Buttonbush 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 Buttonbush is Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic and Tonic. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Buttonbush has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Buttonbush
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 Buttonbush 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 Buttonbush have Toxic respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Buttonbush has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Buttonbush is flowering. You can compare Malabar Spinach and Buttonbush facts and facts of other plants too.