Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
5700
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
8-5
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
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Ammonium Nitrate
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
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
-
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CALLUNA vulgaris
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Heather, Common heather, Ling
In Hindi
पोई
हीथ
In German
Malabarspinat
Heidekraut
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
bruyère
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
brezo
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
ερείκη
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
urze
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
wrzos
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Ericales
Family
Basellaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Basella
Calluna
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ericeae
Subfamily
-
Ericoideae
Number of Species
60860
1
27800
👆🏻