Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
-9999
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
-
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Variety of soil types
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Attracts
-
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
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
-
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant, 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
-
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In German
Malabarspinat
Erdstern
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Terre étoile
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
terra, stella
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Bromeliales
Family
Basellaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Basella
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Earth Star
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Earth Star. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Earth Star 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 Earth Star is . Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Earth Star has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Earth Star
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 Earth Star 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 Earth Star have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Earth Star has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Earth Star is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Earth Star facts and facts of other plants too.