Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbaceous Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China, Japan, Korea
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Dappled Shade, meadows, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
9-4
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, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Light Yellow, Ivory
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
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full 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
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Water once every two or three weeks
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
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove the old foliage
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Use a fertilizer ratio of 16-4-8
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bog Garden, Showy Purposes
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
Antiasthamatic, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Poultice
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Used as umbrellas by Japanese children, Used as walking sticks, Used like rhubarb
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PETASITES japonicus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Giant Butterbur, Japanese Butterbur
In Hindi
पोई
Giant Butterbur
In German
Malabarspinat
Riesen Pestwurz
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
géant Butterbur
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
gigante petasita
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Giant Butterbur
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Carrapicho gigante
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Giant Lepiężnik
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Giant Butterbur
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Asterales
Family
Basellaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Basella
Petasites
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Senecioneae
Subfamily
-
Asteroideae
Number of Species
601
1
27800
👆🏻