Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
4-9
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Crimson
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
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblong
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
पोई
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Malabarspinat
Kracher penstemon
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Firecracker Persicaria
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Firecracker Penstemon
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Firecracker Penstemon. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Firecracker Penstemon 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 Firecracker Penstemon is Burns, Snakebite and Stomach aliments. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Firecracker Penstemon has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Firecracker Penstemon
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 Firecracker Penstemon 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 Firecracker Penstemon have Asthma respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Firecracker Penstemon has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Firecracker Penstemon is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Firecracker Penstemon facts and facts of other plants too.