Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central America, South America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
55
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-10
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, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
White
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
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
Lance-shaped to oblong
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
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
reseeds
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Needs very little water
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
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune regularly, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Pests and diseases free
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
-
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
poisonous if ingested
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Farmland, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Used As Food
Traditional medicine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CESTRUM aurantiacum
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
orange jessamine
In Hindi
पोई
Cestrum aurantiacum
In German
Malabarspinat
Hammersträucher
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Cestrum aurantiacum
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Cestrum
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Cestrum aurantiacum
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Cestrum aurantiacum
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Cestrum aurantiacum
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Cestrum aurantiacum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Solanales
Family
Basellaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Basella
Cestrum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60250
1
27800
👆🏻