Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Eastern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Australia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Mareer, Manjak
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Saline Soils, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
10-15
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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Yellow, Gold, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Light Green, Chocolate
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
Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Remove damaged leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Root rot, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought and Salt
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Dizziness, Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Making cosmetics, used as a dye
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Absorbs greenhouse gases, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Shadow Tree
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Acne, Aging, Hair Loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Making Shampoo, Showy Purposes, Used as Biofuel, 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
Edible, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CORDIA subcordata
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Beach Cordia, Island Walnut, Kou, Sea Trumpet
In Hindi
पोई
Cordia subcordata
In German
Malabarspinat
Cordia subcordata
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Cordia subcordata
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Cordia subcordata
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Cordia subcordata
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Cordia subcordata
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Cordia subcordata
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Cordia subcordata
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Boraginaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Kou
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Kou. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Kou 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 Kou is Acne, Aging and Hair Loss. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Kou has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Kou
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 Kou 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 Kou have Dizziness, Throat itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Kou has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Kou is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Kou facts and facts of other plants too.