Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South America, Southern Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
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Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Bog Garden, Boggy areas, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
8-11
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
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
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Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
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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
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Odd Pinnate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Shade, Partial shade
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
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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 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
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
-
Aphids, Deers, Scale Insects
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders, Formal Garden, Ground Cover
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
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Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
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 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
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Polypodiopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Polypodiales
Family
Basellaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
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Importance of Malabar Spinach and Leatherleaf
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Leatherleaf. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Leatherleaf 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 Leatherleaf is . Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Leatherleaf has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Leatherleaf
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 Leatherleaf 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 Leatherleaf have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Leatherleaf has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Leatherleaf is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Leatherleaf facts and facts of other plants too.