Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial, Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
-
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Echinocereus reichenbachii albertii, Echinocereus reichenbachii fitchii, Echinocereus reichenbachii albispinus
Number of Varieties
59
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Desert, Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
-
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
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm15.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm5.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green, Dark Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
-
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Do Not over Water
In Summer
Average Water
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Dispose of diseased portions, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Mealybugs, Scale insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Flowers
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
-
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Deer resistant
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
-
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Echinocereus reichenbachii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Hedgehog Cactus, Lace
In Hindi
पोई
Hedgehog cactus
In German
Malabarspinat
Igel Kaktus
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
hérisson cactus
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
cactus de erizo
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
hedgehog cactus
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
jeż kaktus
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Echinocereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Pachycereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
60208
1
27800
👆🏻