Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
-
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
5120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-10
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
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm35.60 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Purple, Light Green, Burgundy, Silver
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Mouth itching, Throat itching, Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Indoor Air Purification, Very little waste
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Rheumatism
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Rhizomes
Other Uses
Used As Food
Leaves used for wrapping food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HOMALOMENA Wallisii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Homalomena
In Hindi
पोई
Homalomena
In German
Malabarspinat
Homalomena
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Homalomena
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Homalomena
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Homalomena
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
homalomena
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Homalomena
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Homalomena
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Arales
Family
Basellaceae
Araceae
Genus
Basella
Homalomena
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60122
1
27800
👆🏻