Life Span
Perennial
  
Annual and Perennial
  
Type
Vegetable
  
Broadleaf Evergreen
  
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
  
China, Korea
  
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
  
llex aculeolata Nakai, Ilex affinis Gardner, Ilex amazonensis Edwin
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Dappled Shade
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
  
6-9
  
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
  
Not Available
  
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
  
21,22
  
Habit
Vining/Climbing
  
Oval or Rounded
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
  
White
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
  
Red
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
  
Dark Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
  
Ovate
  
Thorns
No
  
Yes
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Growth Rate
Fast
  
Medium
  
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
  
Loam
  
The pH of Soil
Neutral
  
Acidic, Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Average
  
Bloom Time
Not Available
  
Spring
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
No
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Not Available
  
Where to Plant?
Ground
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
  
Cuttings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
  
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
  
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
  
Full Sun, 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
  
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
  
Red blotch
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Not Available
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Yes
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
Yes
  
No
  
Invasive
Sometimes
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
No
  
Attracts
Not Available
  
Birds
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
Rash, Skin irritation
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Borders, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Insignificant
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification, Provides ground cover
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
  
Not Available
  
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
  
Leaves
  
Other Uses
Used As Food
  
Used for Landscaping, Used for making hedge
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
  
Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
  
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
  
ILEX cornuta 'Carissa'
  
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
  
Carissa holly
  
In Hindi
पोई
  
Carissa holly plant
  
In German
Malabarspinat
  
carissa holly Pflanze
  
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
  
Карисса востраліста завод
  
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
  
Carissa planta de acebo
  
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
  
φυτό Carissa πουρνάρια
  
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
  
planta Carissa azevinho
  
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
  
Carissa Holly roślin
  
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
  
Carissa Holly herba
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Vascular plant
  
Class
Eudicotyledones
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Caryophyllales
  
Aquifoliales
  
Family
Basellaceae
  
Aquifoliaceae
  
Genus
Basella
  
Ilex
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Carissa Holly
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Carissa Holly. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Carissa Holly 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 Carissa Holly is Not Available. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Carissa Holly has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Carissa Holly
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 Carissa Holly 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 Not Available whereas of Carissa Holly have Rash and Skin irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Carissa Holly has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Carissa Holly is flowering. You can compare Malabar Spinach and Carissa Holly facts and facts of other plants too.