Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
World/Pandemic
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Paspalum vaginatum
Number of Varieties
510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-10
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
H2, 17, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Mat-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm2.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Green, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lance shaped
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Salt, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Sprigging or Stolonizing
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Needs more water during establishment
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
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
organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Dollar spot, Leaf spot
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Billbugs, Crickets, Cutworms
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as a golf course turf, Used to feed livestock
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Lawns and Turf
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
PASPALUM vaginatum
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Biscuit Grass, Seashore Paspalum
In Hindi
पोई
Seashore Paspalum
In German
Malabarspinat
Seashore Paspalum
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Seashore Paspalum
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Paspalum
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Αιγιαλός Paspalum
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
seashore Paspalum
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Nad morzem Paspalum
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Paspalum maris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Lilopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cyperales
Family
Basellaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Basella
Paspalum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
6020
1
27800
👆🏻