Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus, Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Caribbean, Central America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus costaricensis, Hylocereus megalanthus
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Rocky areas, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
11-15
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, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
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
-
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Toothed
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Cuttings, reseeds, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
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
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Aesthetic Uses
-
As decorated salad, Beautification
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
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
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
HYLOCEREUS undatus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Pitahaya, Dragon fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry Pear, Belle of the Night, Cinderella Plant, Jesus in the Cradle
In German
Malabarspinat
Drachenfrucht, Distelbirne
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
pitaya, fruit du dragon, cierge-lézard, poire de chardon
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
pitahaya roja (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela); flor de caliz, pitajava (Puerto Rico); junco, junco tapatio, pitahaya orejona, reina de la noche, tasajo (Mexico)
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Φρούτο του δράκου (fruto tu draku)
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
pitaia, cato-barse, cardo-ananaz, rainha da noite
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Red Pitaya
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Red Pitaya
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Red Pitaya
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Red Pitaya. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Red Pitaya 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 Red Pitaya is Antidiabetic, Appetite enhancer, increase memory and Weight loss. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Red Pitaya has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Red Pitaya
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 Red Pitaya 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 Red Pitaya have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Red Pitaya has showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Red Pitaya is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Red Pitaya facts and facts of other plants too.