Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Madagascar
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
All sorts of environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
10-15
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
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
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
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
Reduce watering in winter
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
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
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
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
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Basellaceae
Acanthaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Polka Dot Plant
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Polka Dot Plant. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Polka Dot Plant 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 Polka Dot Plant is . Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Polka Dot Plant has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Polka Dot Plant
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 Polka Dot Plant 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 whereas of Polka Dot Plant have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Polka Dot Plant has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Polka Dot Plant is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Polka Dot Plant facts and facts of other plants too.