Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Starfruit
Number of Varieties
52
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-14
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
11-5
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, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Pink, Rose, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
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, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
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, 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 winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Fertilize every year
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Kidney Stone
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
AVERRHOA carambola
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Carambola, Starfruit
In Hindi
पोई
carambola पेड़
In German
Malabarspinat
Sternfrucht Baum
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
arbre carambole
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
árbol de carambola
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
carambola δέντρο
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
árvore de carambola
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
karambola drzewo
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
carambola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Oxalidales
Family
Basellaceae
Oxalidaceae
Genus
Basella
Averrhoa
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60180
1
27800
👆🏻