Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Sedge or Rush
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Europe, United Kingdom, Northern Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Grassland, Humid climates, Riverbanks, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
11-1
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
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Insects
Allergy
-
Asthma, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification
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
Digestion problems, Fever
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Container, Edging, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ISOLEPIS cernua
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Low Bulrush
Slender Clubrush
In Hindi
पोई
फाइबर ऑप्टिक घास
In German
Malabarspinat
Lichtwellenleiter-Gras
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Fibre optique Herbe
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Hierba de fibra óptica
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Οπτικών Ινών Grass
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Fibra Óptica Relva
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Światłowody Trawa
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Fiber opticus Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Eudicotyledones
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Poales
Family
Basellaceae
Cyperaceae
Genus
Basella
Isolepis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Pooideae
Number of Species
6070
1
27800
👆🏻