Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Madagascar
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
550
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
All sorts of environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-9
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, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Reduce watering in winter
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, Full 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
Insignificant
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover
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
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HYPOESTES phyllostachya
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Polka Dot Plant, Polkadot Plant
In Hindi
पोई
Polka dot plant
In German
Malabarspinat
Tupfen-Anlage
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Polka dot usine de
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Planta de lunares
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Φυτό πουά
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Planta bolinhas
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Grochy roślin
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Facies dot herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Acanthaceae
Genus
Basella
Hypoestes
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ruellieae
Subfamily
-
Acanthoideae
Number of Species
6050
1
27800
👆🏻