Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Madagascar
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Purple vinca, Vinca, cherry red, strawberry color
Number of Varieties
530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-1
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
A1, A2, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm1.97 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm2.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Magenta, Pink, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light 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
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Fall, Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Pollution, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Does not require lot of watering, Medium
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune ocassionally
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Botrytis Blight, Canker, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Intestinal gas, Nausea, Vomiting
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
Chest pain, High blood pressure, Inflammation, Sore throat, Tooth ache, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Catharanthus roseus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Madagascar periwinkle or rosy periwinkle
In Hindi
पोई
Periwinkle
In German
Malabarspinat
Immergrün
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Pervenche
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Bígaro
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
μυρτιά
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Mirta
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Barwinek
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Periwinkle
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Mollusca
Class
Eudicotyledones
Gastropoda
Order
Caryophyllales
Geraniales
Family
Basellaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Basella
Catharanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
608
1
27800
👆🏻