Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Not Available
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
6-10
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, 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
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
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
Needle like
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Not Available
Early Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Needs small amount of water
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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Not Available
Not Available, Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Not Available
drowsiness, Scratches
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In German
Malabarspinat
Nadel -Palme
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
palmera aguja
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Igła palma
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
acus palma
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Arecales
Family
Basellaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Basella
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Not Available
Corypheae
Subfamily
Not Available
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
Not Available
Not Available
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Needle Palm
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Needle Palm. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Needle Palm 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 Needle Palm is Aging and Frostbite. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Needle Palm has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Needle Palm
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 Needle Palm 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 Not Available whereas of Needle Palm have drowsiness and Scratches respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Needle Palm has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Needle Palm is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Needle Palm facts and facts of other plants too.