Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Number of Varieties
5140
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
gardens, Grassland, Homesteads, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm600.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Red, Dark Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Stem Cutting, Tip cutting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
It cannot sustain wet-feet, Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water frequently while growing, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
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
A hard prune may be necessary if the plant becomes woody, Cut leaves after fall, Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune in early summer, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced liquid fertilizer, Do not fertilize new plants until at least a month, Use a low phosphate fertilizer to improve the quality of the blooms
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Mealybugs, Red spider mite, Scale, Thripes, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Variety of soil types
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
-
Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Borders, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
Hair Conditioner, Prevents greying of hair, Prevents Premature Baldness, Promotes Healthy Hair, Promotes healthy skin, Speed hair growth
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
anti-inflammatory, Diuretic, Hair Loss, High blood pressure, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Culinary use, Employed in herbal medicine, Jam, Jelly, Making Shampoo, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine, Use in Chinese herbology, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for bedding in gardens, Used for fragrance, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages, Used in paper industry, Used in salads, Used to make hair tonic
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HIBISCUS rosa-sinensis 'Lillikoi Yellow'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
China rose
In Hindi
पोई
गुड़हल, जवा कुसुम
In German
Malabarspinat
Tropical Hibiscus
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Hibiscus Tropical
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
hibisco tropical
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
τροπική Hibiscus
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Hibiscus tropical
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Tropical Hibiscus
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Tropical Hibiscus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Malvales
Family
Basellaceae
Malvaceae
Genus
Basella
Hibiscus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Hibisceae
Subfamily
-
Malvoideae
Number of Species
60100
1
27800
👆🏻