Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China, Korea
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Castanea mollissima
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
disturbed sites, Forest edges
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
8-1
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
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Light Green, Chartreuse
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Yellow, Gold, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
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
Do Not over Water, Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Average Water
Adequately
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune in fall, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Beetles, Leafhoppers
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for animals, 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
Low calories, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Food for animals, Used as firewood, Used As Food, Used in biomass
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CASTANEA mollissima
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Chinese Chestnut
In Hindi
पोई
चीनी अखरोट
In German
Malabarspinat
chinesische Kastanie
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
châtaignier chinois
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Castaño chino
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Κινέζικο κάστανο
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
castanha chinesa
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Kasztan chiński
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Chinese Chestnut
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fagales
Family
Basellaceae
Fagaceae
Genus
Basella
Castanea
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Gloxinieae
Subfamily
-
Cassidinae
Number of Species
6015
1
27800
👆🏻