Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Hoodia albispina, Hoodia flava, Hoodia bainii
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
12-15
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
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Red, Pink, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
-
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Once a week
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
-
Flies, Insects
Beauty Benefits
-
Weightloss
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for insects
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Can be made into a herbal tea, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Hoodia gordonii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
ǁhoba, Ghaap
In German
Malabarspinat
Hoodia
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Hoodia
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Hoodia
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Hoodia
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Hoodia
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Hoodia
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Hoodia
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Gentianales
Family
Basellaceae
Apocynaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Subfamily
-
Asclepiadoideae
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Hoodia
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Hoodia. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Hoodia as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C whereas of Hoodia is Weight loss. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Hoodia has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Hoodia
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Malabar Spinach vs Hoodia and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Malabar Spinach are whereas of Hoodia have Dry Mouth respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Hoodia has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Hoodia is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Hoodia facts and facts of other plants too.