Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Summer Squash, Winter Squash
Number of Varieties
51
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-1
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Orange, Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Lemon yellow
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
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Arrowhead
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Compost
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Downy mildew, Fungal Diseases, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Insects
Allergy
-
Skin irritation, Skin rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for birds, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
anti-cancer, Bone strength, Fiber, Indigestion, Nutrients, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CUCURBITA pepo 'Delicata'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Peanut Squash, Squash
In Hindi
पोई
देलिकाता स्क्वाश
In German
Malabarspinat
Delicata Squash
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Delicata Squash
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Delicata Squash
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Delicata Σκουός
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Delicata Squash
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Delicata Squash
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
delicata Cucurbitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Basellaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Basella
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
60100
1
27800
👆🏻