Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrubs, Spurge
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Madagascar, South Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Jatropha bullockii, Jatropha cinerea, Jatropha excisa
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Pastures, Roadsides, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
-9999
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
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Light Green, Lime Green, Yellow, Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark 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
Palmately Lobed
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
All year
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Bright direct sunlight, Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Dry, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Needs less watering, Water occasionally
In Summer
Average Water
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Bright direct sunlight, Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Anthracnose, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Drought and Salt, Heat Tolerance
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
-
Bees, Flying insects, Hoverflies
Allergy
-
allergic conjunctivitis, Eye irritation
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin and hair, Removes pimples, Skin inflammation, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
Yes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Insect Repellent, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Suppresses or replaces native plants, Versatility
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
anti-allergy, epilepsy, Fever, Skin irritation, Skin Redness
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Sap, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Oil is used as fuel, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used in biomass
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
JATROPHA
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Barbados nut, purging nut, physic nut, or JCL
In German
Malabarspinat
Purgiernuß
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
purghère
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
frailejón
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
jatropha
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
galamaluco
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
jatrofa
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Jatropha
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Euphorbiales
Family
Basellaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Dicotyledonous
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Jatropha
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Jatropha. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Jatropha 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 Jatropha is anti-allergy, epilepsy, Fever, Skin irritation and Skin Redness. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Jatropha has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Jatropha
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 Jatropha 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 Jatropha have allergic conjunctivitis and Eye irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Jatropha has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Jatropha is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Jatropha facts and facts of other plants too.