Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Eastern Asia, Malaysia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Not Available
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
gardens, Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
11-12
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
Not Available
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
Not Available
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Bushy, Evergreen
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Not Available
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Not Available
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Non Fruiting Plant
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Damp
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Not Available
Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Damp
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
cut main flower spike, Cut or pinch the stems
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Full-strength liquid fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Downy mildew, Red blotch, Stem rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flower Petal Number
Single
Not Available
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Not Available
Not Available
Allergy
Not Available
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Weightloss
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Provides ground cover, Soil protection, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Coleus, Painted nettle
In German
Malabarspinat
Buntnessel
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Vieux garçon
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
coleo
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Coleus
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
cóleus
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Coleus
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Coleus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Lamiaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Not Available
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Not Available
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Coleus
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Coleus. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Coleus 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 Coleus is Asthma, Glaucoma, High blood pressure, Liver Protection and Weight loss. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Coleus has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Coleus
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 Coleus 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 Not Available whereas of Coleus have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Coleus has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Coleus is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Coleus facts and facts of other plants too.