Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America, Alaska, Canada
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Number of Varieties
510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Dappled Shade, Hedge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99992-6
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
6-1
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
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Thicket/Colonizing
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
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Hardwood Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water
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
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Phosphorous, Use nitrogen rich soil
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Leaf spot, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
-
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Cancer, Salve
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Jelly, Used for making soaps, Used to flavour soups
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ELAEAGNUS commutata
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Silverberry, Wolf-Willow
In Hindi
पोई
Silverberry
In German
Malabarspinat
Silverberry
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Silverberry
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Silverberry
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Silverberry
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Silverberry
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Silverberry
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Silverberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Rhamnales
Family
Basellaceae
Elaeagnaceae
Genus
Basella
Elaeagnus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Elaeagnoideae
Number of Species
6070
1
27800
👆🏻