Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
South America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Portulaca grandiflora
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
5-11
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
Prostrate/Trailing
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Needle like
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shearing
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin Problems
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Cottage garden, Edible
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PORTULACA grandiflora
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
In German
Malabarspinat
Portulak
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
portulaca
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Portulaca
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Portulaca
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Portulaca
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Portulaca
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Portulaca
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Portulacaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Portulaca
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Portulaca. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Portulaca 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 Portulaca is Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite and Swelling. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Portulaca has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Portulaca
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 Portulaca 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 Portulaca have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Portulaca has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Portulaca is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Portulaca facts and facts of other plants too.