Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central America, Mexico
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
7-8
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
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In German
Malabarspinat
Maus Melone
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Mousemelon
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Mousemelon
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
melão rato
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
mysz melona
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
mouse melon
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Basellaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Mouse Melon
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Mouse Melon. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Mouse Melon 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 Mouse Melon is Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation and Rich in Iron. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Mouse Melon has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Mouse Melon
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 Mouse Melon 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 Mouse Melon have 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 Mouse Melon has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Mouse Melon is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Mouse Melon facts and facts of other plants too.