Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Gasteria brachyphylla, Gasteria rawlinsonii
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Deciduous forests, River side, rocky banks of streams
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
-9999
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
13, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Rosette/Stemless
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Tongue shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Bright direct sunlight, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Dry soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Do Not over Water
In Summer
Average Water
Less Watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Fusarium root rot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Heat And Humidity
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Allergy
-
Irritation to intestines, Skin rash
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Good for the Scalp
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Aging, Blood disorders, Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Sap
Other Uses
Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Shampoo, Oil is used in mosquito repellents
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Sometimes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
GASTERIA
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Gasteria
In German
Malabarspinat
Gasteria
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Gasteria
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Gasteria
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Gasteria
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Gasteria
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Gasteria
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Gasteria
Class
Eudicotyledones
Monocots
Order
Caryophyllales
Asparagales
Family
Basellaceae
Aloaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Subfamily
-
Asphodeloideae
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Gasteria
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Gasteria. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Gasteria 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 Gasteria is Aging, Blood disorders and Laxative. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Gasteria has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Gasteria
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 Gasteria 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 Gasteria have Irritation to intestines and Skin rash respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Gasteria has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Gasteria is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Gasteria facts and facts of other plants too.