Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Vicia ambigua, Vicia eriocarpa, Vicia microphylla
Number of Varieties
55
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Cultivated Beds, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
8 - 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
-
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Needs less watering
In Summer
Average Water
Less Watering
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Clay, Sandy
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Calcium Sulphate, Phosphorous
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Shade areas
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Insects
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bouquets
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Fixes Nitrogen, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
As a tea substitute, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Groundcover
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
VICIA villosa
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Fodder Vetch, Hairy Vetch
In Hindi
पोई
hairy vetch
In German
Malabarspinat
Zottelwicke
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
vesce velue
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
veza
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
τριχωτό βίκος
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
ervilhaca peluda
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
owłosione wyki
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
pea
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Basella
Vicia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Vicieae
Subfamily
-
Faboideae
Number of Species
60140
1
27800
👆🏻