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Compare Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron


Rhododendron and Malabar Spinach


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Vegetable  
Broadleaf Evergreen  

Origin
Southeastern Asia, India  
-  

Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  
Rhododendron aberconwayi, Rhododendron bulu, Rhododendron kanehirae  

Number of Varieties
5  
700  
17

Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  
moist forests  

USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999  
5-8  

AHS Heat Zone
12*7  
-  

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  
21,22  

Habit
Vining/Climbing  
Spreading  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
2.40 cm  
99+
150.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
24.00 cm  
99+
150.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red  
Red  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
White, Ivory  
Green, Tan  

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  
Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped  
Ovate  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Medium  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam  
Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Neutral  
Acidic  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
-  
Late Spring  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
-  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  
From Rhizomes, Seedlings, Stem Planting  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil  
Do Not over Water, Keep ground moist  

In Summer
Average Water  
Consistently  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Ample Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Neutral  
Acidic  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam  
Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  
Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads, Remove short twigs  

Fertilizers
Nitrogen  
Apply 12-10-18 NPK, General garden fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids  
Azalea leaf gall, Bud blast, Galls, Honey fungus, Leaf Hoppers, Leaf spot, Petal blight, Phytophthora, Powdery mildew, Rust, Silver leaf  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
-  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Coarse  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Matte  

Evergreen
Yes  
No  

Invasive
Sometimes  
No  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
No  

Attracts
-  
-  

Allergy
-  
Asthma  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
-  
Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
Making cosmetics  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

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  
Burns, Chronic fatigue, Cold, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Headache, Rheumatism  

Part of Plant Used
Leaves  
Whole plant  

Other Uses
Used As Food  
Cosmetics, Employed in herbal medicine, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Sometimes used for making wine  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  
Feature Plant, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
BASELLA alba  
RHODODENDRON  

Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  
Rhododendron  

In Hindi
पोई  
rhododendron  

In German
Malabarspinat  
Rhododendron  

In French
L’épinard de Malabar  
rhododendron  

In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar  
rododendro  

In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι  
ροδοδάφνη  

In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre  
rododendro  

In Polish
Szpinak Malabar  
rododendron  

In Latin
Spinach Malabar  
Rhododendron  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Eudicotyledones  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Ericales  

Family
Basellaceae  
Ericaceae  

Genus
Basella  
Rhododendron  

Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
Rhodoreae  

Subfamily
-  
Ericoideae  

Number of Species
60  
1024  
24

What is >>
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Difference Between Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron

If you are confused whether Malabar Spinach or Rhododendron are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Malabar Spinach are Nitrogen, whereas for Rhododendron fertilizers required are Apply 12-10-18 NPK and General garden fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron 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 Rhododendron is Burns, Chronic fatigue, Cold, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Headache and Rheumatism. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Rhododendron has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Rhododendron

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 Rhododendron 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 Rhododendron have Asthma respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Rhododendron has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Rhododendron is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Rhododendron facts and facts of other plants too.

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