Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Aquatics
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southern Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Nelumbo nucifera
Number of Varieties
5100
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Ponds
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-3
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Red, Pink, Light Pink, Hot Pink, Rose, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Orbicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, In Water, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Cut away fading foliage
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
20N–4.4P–16.6K at 20-d intervals
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Caterpillars
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Beetles, Insects
Allergy
-
Constipation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
Promotes healthy skin, Provides herbal hair care
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
Antidiarrhoeal, Astringent, Cancer, Cardiotonic, Febrifuge, Hypotensive, Resolvent, Stomachic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Leaves are used to wrap small parcels, Roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute, Root is used as a vegetable
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
NELUMBO nucifera
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
East Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus
In Hindi
पोई
पवित्र कमल
In German
Malabarspinat
Heiliges Lotus
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Lotus Sacré
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
loto sagrado
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
ιερή Lotus
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Lotus sagrado
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Sacred Lotus
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
sacra Lotus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Proteales
Family
Basellaceae
Nymphaeaceae
Genus
Basella
Abelia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nelumbonaceae
Number of Species
605
1
27800
👆🏻