Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Fern
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South America, Southern Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Bog Garden, Boggy areas, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-8
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, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Odd Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Shade, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Fall, Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Shade, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune for size control
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Showy
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Deers, Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders, Formal Garden, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Foundation, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
RUMOHRA adiantiformis
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
leatherleaf fern
leathery shieldfern
iron fern
7-weeks-fern
climbing shield fern
In Hindi
पोई
leatherleaf
In German
Malabarspinat
Leatherleaf
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Leatherleaf
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
leatherleaf
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Leatherleaf
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
leatherleaf
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Leatherleaf
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Leatherleaf
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Polypodiopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Polypodiales
Family
Basellaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Genus
Basella
Rumohra
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6050
1
27800
👆🏻