Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Cuphea ignea
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Temperate Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
9-15
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, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Cushion/Mound-forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Orange Red, Black
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
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Elliptic
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Do not water frequently, It cannot sustain wet-feet, 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
Cut or pinch the stems, Prune in spring
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bouquets, 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
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Economic Purpose, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for producing cooking oil
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CUPHEA cyanea
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Mexican Cigar, Firecracker plant
In Hindi
पोई
सिगार प्लांट
In German
Malabarspinat
Zigarettenblümchen
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Cigar usine
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
cigarro Planta
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
πούρο φυτών
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
charuto de Plantas
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Cigar roślin
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Planta Cigar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Myrtales
Family
Basellaceae
Lythraceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Cigar Plant
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Cigar Plant. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Cigar Plant 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 Cigar Plant is . Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Cigar Plant has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Cigar Plant
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 Cigar Plant 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 Cigar Plant have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Cigar Plant has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Cigar Plant is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Cigar Plant facts and facts of other plants too.