Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fern
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Northeastern United States
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Polystichum acrostichoides
Number of Varieties
510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Boggy areas, By seashore, Coastal Regions, Moist woods, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99993-8
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
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
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full 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
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, Spores
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
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 shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Insects
Allergy
-
Avoid during Pregnancy, coma, Eye irritation, weakness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
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
Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
POLYSTICHUM acrostichoides
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Christmas Fern
In Hindi
पोई
Christmas Fern
In German
Malabarspinat
Christmas Fern
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
polystic faux-acrostic
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Christmas Fern
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Christmas Fern
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Christmas Fern
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Christmas Fern
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Christmas Fern
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Filicinophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Filicopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Filicales
Family
Basellaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Genus
Basella
Polystichum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60700
1
27800
👆🏻