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Compare Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia


Common Zinnia and Malabar Spinach


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Annual  

Type
Vegetable  
Flowering Plants, Shrub  

Origin
Southeastern Asia, India  
Mexico  

Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  
Zinnia elegans  

Number of Varieties
5  
50  
99+

Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  
Humid climates  

USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999  
3-10  

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  
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  

Habit
Vining/Climbing  
Clump-Forming  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
2.40 cm  
99+
70.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
24.00 cm  
99+
50.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red  
Lilac, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rose, White, Yellow  

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  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped  
Lance shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
All year  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam  
Moist  

The pH of Soil
Neutral  
Neutral, Slightly Acidic, Slightly Alkaline  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
-  
Mid Summer, Summer  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Container, Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  
Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Low  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil  
Get enough water whenever the soil is dry  

In Summer
Average Water  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Average Water  

In Winter
Average Water  
Ample Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Neutral  
Neutral, Slightly Acidic, Slightly Alkaline  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam  
Moist  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun  

Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  
Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers  

Fertilizers
Nitrogen  
Fertilizer every month during spring, General garden fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids  
Blight, Botrytis Blight, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Root rot  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Yes  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Fine  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Matte  

Evergreen
Yes  
No  

Invasive
Sometimes  
Yes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
-  
Bees  

Allergy
-  
allergic reaction, poisonous if ingested, Skin irritation  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
-  
Borders, Showy Purposes, small hedge  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
No  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Food for insects, Provides ground cover  

Plant Benefits
  
  

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 As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  
Bedding Plant, Flower borders, Hedges  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
BASELLA alba  
Zinnia elegans  

Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  
Youth-and-age, common zinnia, elegant zinnia  

In Hindi
पोई  
आम Zinnia  

In German
Malabarspinat  
Gemeinsame Zinnia  

In French
L’épinard de Malabar  
Zinnia commune  

In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar  
Zinnia común  

In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι  
κοινή Zinnia  

In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre  
Zinnia comum  

In Polish
Szpinak Malabar  
wspólna Zinnia  

In Latin
Spinach Malabar  
commune Zinnia  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Eudicotyledones  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Asterales  

Family
Basellaceae  
Asteraceae  

Genus
Basella  
Zinnia  

Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
60  
20  

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Difference Between Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia

If you are confused whether Malabar Spinach or Common Zinnia are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Malabar Spinach are Nitrogen, whereas for Common Zinnia fertilizers required are Fertilizer every month during spring and General garden fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia 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 Common Zinnia is . Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Common Zinnia has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Common Zinnia

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 Common Zinnia 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 Common Zinnia have allergic reaction, poisonous if ingested and Skin irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Common Zinnia has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Common Zinnia is flowering. You can compare Malabar Spinach and Common Zinnia facts and facts of other plants too.

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