Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Taonabo japonica, Cleyera ochnacea
Number of Varieties
55
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
secondary forest, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-10
0
99
👆🏻
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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Red, Dark Green, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Does not require lot of watering, occasional watering once established
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Compost
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Downy mildew, Leaf rust, Phytophthora Root Rot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Humidity, Soil Compaction
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Fruit Bats, Snails, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Asthma, Nausea, Pollen, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Provides herbal hair care, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Insect Repellent, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Acne, Arthritis, Eczema, Oedema
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Application in Furniture, Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
TERNSTROEMIA gymnanthera
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Sakaki
In Hindi
पोई
Sakaki
In German
Malabarspinat
Sperrstrauch
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Sakaki
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Sakaki
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Sakaki
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Sakaki
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Sakaki
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Sakaki
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Theales
Family
Basellaceae
Theaceae
Genus
Basella
Cleyera
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6018
1
27800
👆🏻