Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent, Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Epiphyllum hybrids
Number of Varieties
5200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
11-1
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
H1, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm6.78 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Red, Orange, Magenta, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Purple, Red
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
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Leaf Cutting, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water occasionally
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
DISOCACTUS ackermannii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Orchid Cactus
In Hindi
पोई
आर्किड कैक्टस
In German
Malabarspinat
Orchid cactus
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Cactus Orchid
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
cactus orquídea
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
ορχιδέα κάκτος
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Orchid cactus
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Orchid kaktus
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Orchid cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Embryophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Disocactus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Hylocereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
6020
1
27800
👆🏻