Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Eastern Asia, Japan
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Berberis thunbergii
Number of Varieties
53
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Old fields, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
8-5
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
A3, 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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Red orange
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Purple, Orange, Burgundy, Crimson
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Obovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought, Salt, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
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
Requires regular watering during dry weather
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial 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, Sunken patches
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
-
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders
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
Anthelmintic, Antibacterial, Antiseptic, Cancer
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used to make yellow dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edging, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
BERBERIS thunbergii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Japanese Barberry
In Hindi
पोई
Japanese Barberry
In German
Malabarspinat
Thunberg-Berberitze
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Berberis thunbergii
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Berberis thunbergii
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Japanese Barberry
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Japanese Barberry
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Berberys Thunberga
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Japanese Barberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Ranunculales
Family
Basellaceae
Berberidaceae
Genus
Basella
Berberis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6010
1
27800
👆🏻