Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Eastern Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Darjeeling Red , Donald Lowndes , Superba
Number of Varieties
535
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
High elevation
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
9-5
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
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.00 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
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Red, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Bi-lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Light Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Layering, Root Division, Softwood cuttings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Never Over-water
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, 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
Fungal leaf spots
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Diarrhea, Stomach pain
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
along a porch, deck or patio, bank hedging, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin irritation
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
bowel syndrome, Gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Root, Root bark
Other Uses
Used As Food
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PERSICARIA microcephala 'Dragon's Eye'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Dragon's Eye Fleeceflower, Fleeceflower
In Hindi
पोई
fleeceflower
In German
Malabarspinat
fleeceflower
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
fleeceflower
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Polygonum affine
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
fleeceflower
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
fleeceflower
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
fleeceflower
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
fleeceflower
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Eudicotyledones
Agaricomycetes
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Polygonaceae
Genus
Basella
Periscaria
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6050
1
27800
👆🏻