Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Europe, Nepal, Southern Asia, Southern Europe
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Myristica fragrans
Number of Varieties
5150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Cold Regions, Hills, Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
7-1
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1,000.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
All year
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Budding, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
In Early Autumn, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
fertilize in spring, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Anthracnose, Armillaria mellea, Blight, Caterpillars, Crown gall, Crown rot, fungus, Powdery mildew, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Frost
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Bees, Beetles, Caterpillar, Small mammals
Allergy
-
Abdominal distension, flushing of face, hallucinations, Headache, Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin and hair
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Absorbs greenhouse gases, Absorbs huge amounts of CO2, Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Erosion control, Food for birds, Food for insects, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree, Shelter for wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Anemia, anti-cancer, Antispasmodic, Asthma, Diarrhea, Healing, Stomach spasms, Thoat infection
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Making deodorants, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in mosquito repellents, Used as a laxative, Used for its medicinal properties, Used for making soaps, Used in biomass
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Groundcover
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Myristica fragrans
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Nutmeg
In Hindi
पोई
जायफल
In German
Malabarspinat
Muskatnuss
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
noix de muscade
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
nuez moscada
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
μοσχοκάρυδο
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
noz-moscada
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
gałka muszkatołowa
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
nutmeg
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Magnoliales
Family
Basellaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Basella
Myristica
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Myrteae
Subfamily
-
Myrtoideae
Number of Species
602
1
27800
👆🏻