Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Nepeta cataria
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Dry areas, Roadsides, stream banks, Stream side, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
3-7
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Arrowhead
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Dry soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Caterpillars, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Frost
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
-
Flying insects, Insects, Spider Mites
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, Headache, Stomach pain, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, 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
Arthritis, Cold, constipation, Fever, Insomia, Migraines, Upset stomach
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Making Perfumes, Making Shampoo, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Medicinal oil, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
NEPETA cataria
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Cat Nip, Catnip
In German
Malabarspinat
Katzenminze
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
cataire
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Catnip
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Είδος δυόσμου
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
catnip
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Kocimiętka
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
catnip
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Lamiaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Catnip
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Catnip. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Catnip 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 Catnip is Arthritis, Cold, constipation, Fever, Insomia, Migraines and Upset stomach. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Catnip has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Catnip
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 Catnip 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 Catnip have Avoid during Pregnancy, Headache, Stomach pain and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Catnip has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Catnip is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Catnip facts and facts of other plants too.