Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Mexico, Caribbean
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Ornamental Grass
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
marshes, Riverbanks, Sandy areas, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12 - 5
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
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Light Yellow, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Light brown, Light Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Red, Dark Green, Dark Red, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, 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
Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Borers, 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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Insects
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Animal Feed, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Groundcover, Mixed Border, Water Gardens, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
TRIPSACUM dactyloides
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Eastern Gamagrass
In Hindi
पोई
पूर्वी Gamagrass
In German
Malabarspinat
Eastern Gamagrass
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Gamagrass Orient
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Maicillo del Este
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Ανατολική Gamagrass
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Gamagrass Oriental
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Eastern Gamagrass
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Orientalium Gamagrass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Streptophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Poales
Family
Basellaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Basella
Tripsacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
601
1
27800
👆🏻