Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central America, South America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Willow Leaf, Sieva Lima, Dixie Speckled
Number of Varieties
52
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Humid climates, Subtropical climates, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
-
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green
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
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Willow-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Average Water
Not so frequently
In Spring
Moderate
Alternate Days
In Winter
Average Water
Drought Tolerant
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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 to control growth
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Armyworm, Bean rust, Bean weevils, Corn earworm, Cucumber beetles, Curly top, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Earwigs, Fusarium root rot, Grasshoppers, Leafhoppers, Loopers, Lycaenid pod borers, Lygus bugs, Mosaic viruses, Nematodes, Powdery mildew, Saltmarsh caterpillar, Seedcorn maggot, Slugs, Snails, Spider mites, Stink bugs, Thripes, White mold, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
cholesterol-lowering, constipation, Digestive disorders, Fiber, Heart problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb, Vegetable
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PHASEOLUS lunatus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Butter Bean, Lima Bean
In Hindi
पोई
सेम फली
In German
Malabarspinat
Limabohne
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Haricot de Lima
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Haba
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Γίγαντας
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
feijão-Lima
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Lima Bean
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Lima Bean
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Basella
Phaseolus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Phaseoleae
Subfamily
-
Faboideae
Number of Species
6040
1
27800
👆🏻