Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
9-15
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
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Late Winter
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Average Water
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Soil Compaction
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
-
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
पोई
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Malabarspinat
Kapok baum
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Fromager
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Ceiba
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Ceiba
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Mafumeira
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Ceiba
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Malvales
Family
Basellaceae
Bombacaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Eudicots, Rosids
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Kapok
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Kapok. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Kapok 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 Kapok is Aphrodisiac and Diuretic. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Kapok has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Kapok
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 Kapok 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 Kapok have Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress and wheezing respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Kapok has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Kapok is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Kapok facts and facts of other plants too.