Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Not avilable
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
-9999
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
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Weeping
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Succulent
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Grafting, 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
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Aesthetic Uses
-
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Nut
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Selenicereus pteranthus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
In Hindi
पोई
moonlight cactus
In German
Malabarspinat
Selenicereus
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Selenicereus
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Selenicereus
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Selenicereus
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Selenicereus
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Selenicereus
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
moonlight cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Moonlight cactus
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Moonlight cactus. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Moonlight cactus 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 Moonlight cactus is . Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Moonlight cactus has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Moonlight cactus
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 Moonlight cactus 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 Moonlight cactus have Itchiness respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Moonlight cactus has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Moonlight cactus is flowering. You can compare Malabar Spinach and Moonlight cactus facts and facts of other plants too.