Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
Not Available
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, 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
Vining/Climbing
Minimum Width
Not Available
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Round
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Not Available
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
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
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Edible Fruit
No
Not Available
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
Not Available
Not Available
Allergy
Not Available
no allergic reactions
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In German
Malabarspinat
Indian Spinat
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
épinards indienne
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
espinaca india
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Spinach Indian
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Not Available
Class
Eudicotyledones
Not Available
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Not Available
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Indian Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Indian Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Indian Spinach 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 Indian Spinach is Astringent. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Indian Spinach
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 Indian Spinach 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 Not Available whereas of Indian Spinach have no allergic reactions respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Indian Spinach has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Indian Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Indian Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.