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Compare Malabar Spinach and Elephant Grass


Elephant Grass and Malabar Spinach


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Vegetable  
Grass  

Origin
Southeastern Asia, India  
Middle Africa  

Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  
Perennial Grass  

Number of Varieties
5  
15  
99+

Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands  

USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999  
7-11  

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  
Clump-Forming  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
2.40 cm  
99+
120.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
24.00 cm  
99+
120.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red  
Sandy Brown  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
White, Ivory  
-  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green  
Purple  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green  
Light Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green  
Purple  

Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green  
Purple  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped  
Long Linear  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Very Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
-  
Summer, Late Summer  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
Cold climate, Drought, Salt  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  
Budding, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Low  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil  
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer  

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  
Well drained  

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

Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts  

Fertilizers
Nitrogen  
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids  
Insects, Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Cold climate, Drought, Salt  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

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  
Glossy  

Evergreen
Yes  
No  

Invasive
Sometimes  
Yes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
-  
Birds, Flying insects  

Allergy
-  
Asthma, breathing problems  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
-  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C  
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds  

Part of Plant Used
Leaves  
Leaves, Seeds  

Other Uses
Used As Food  
Food for animals, Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
BASELLA alba  
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'  

Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  
Elephant Grass  

In Hindi
पोई  
हाथी घास  

In German
Malabarspinat  
Elefantengras  

In French
L’épinard de Malabar  
l'herbe à éléphant  

In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar  
pasto elefante  

In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι  
ελέφαντα χόρτο  

In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre  
capim-elefante  

In Polish
Szpinak Malabar  
trawa słoniowa  

In Latin
Spinach Malabar  
elephanti herba  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Eudicotyledones  
Liliopsida  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Poales  

Family
Basellaceae  
Poaceae  

Genus
Basella  
Pennisetum  

Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots  

Tribe
-  
Paniceae  

Subfamily
-  
Panicoideae  

Number of Species
60  
1  

What is >>
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Difference Between Malabar Spinach and Elephant Grass

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

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Importance of Malabar Spinach and Elephant Grass

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Elephant Grass. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Elephant Grass 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 Elephant Grass is Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders and Wounds. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Elephant Grass has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Elephant Grass

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 Elephant Grass 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 Elephant Grass have Asthma and breathing problems respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Elephant Grass has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Elephant Grass is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Elephant Grass facts and facts of other plants too.

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