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Compare Malabar Spinach and Elderberry


Elderberry and Malabar Spinach


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Vegetable  
Flowering Plants, Fruits, Herbs, Shrubs  

Origin
Southeastern Asia, India  
Australia, South America  

Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  
Adams Elderberry, Black Beauty Elderberry, Black Lace Elderberry, Johns Elderberry, Nova Elderberry  

Number of Varieties
5  
0  
99+

Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  
Farms, Homesteads, Near organic waste disposal  

USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999  
4-8  

AHS Heat Zone
12*7  
8-1  

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  
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17  

Habit
Vining/Climbing  
Upright/Erect  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
2.40 cm  
99+
9.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
24.00 cm  
99+
8.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red  
White  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
-  

Fruit Color
White, Ivory  
Purple, Red  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green  
Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green  
Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green  
Yellow green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green  
-  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped  
Compound  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Early Spring  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Part sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Medium  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam  
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained  

The pH of Soil
Neutral  
Slightly Acidic  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Average  

Bloom Time
-  
Early Spring, Spring  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
Pollution  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  
Grafting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil  
Requires regular watering, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather  

In Summer
Average Water  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Neutral  
Slightly Acidic  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam  
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Average  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Part sun  

Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  
Cut or pinch the stems, No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in winter, Prune ocassionally, Remove deadheads  

Fertilizers
Nitrogen  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids  
Canker, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Stem spot, Tomato Ringspot Virus  

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  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Matte  

Evergreen
Yes  
No  

Invasive
Sometimes  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
No  

Attracts
-  
Birds  

Allergy
-  
Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
-  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

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  
constipation, Fever, Heart problems, High cholestrol, HIV/AIDS, Nerve pain, swine flu  

Part of Plant Used
Leaves  
Flowers, Fruits  

Other Uses
Used As Food  
-  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  
-  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
BASELLA alba  
Sambucus nigra  

Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  
Elderberry  

In Hindi
पोई  
Elderberry  

In German
Malabarspinat  
Holunderbeere  

In French
L’épinard de Malabar  
Sureau  

In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar  
Saúco  

In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι  
Elderberry  

In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre  
Sabugueiro  

In Polish
Szpinak Malabar  
Bez czarny  

In Latin
Spinach Malabar  
Elderberry  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Eudicotyledones  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Dipsacales  

Family
Basellaceae  
Adoxaceae  

Genus
Basella  
Sambucus  

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

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
60  
30  
99+

What is >>
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Difference Between Malabar Spinach and Elderberry

If you are confused whether Malabar Spinach or Elderberry 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 Elderberry Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Malabar Spinach are Nitrogen, whereas for Elderberry fertilizers required are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Malabar Spinach and Elderberry if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Malabar Spinach and Elderberry

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Elderberry. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Elderberry 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 Elderberry is constipation, Fever, Heart problems, High cholestrol, HIV/AIDS, Nerve pain and swine flu. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Elderberry has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Elderberry

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 Elderberry 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 Elderberry have Diarrhea, Nausea and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Elderberry has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Elderberry is flowering. You can compare Malabar Spinach and Elderberry facts and facts of other plants too.

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