Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, Turkey
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Fern
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Shady Edge, Woodland Garden Dappled Shade
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
6-9
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
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
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
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Saw-tooth like
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Shade, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Dry Conditions, Light Frost, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, From Rhizomes, Spores
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
when new, water every week
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Shade, Partial shade
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
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Poultice, Sore throat, Tonsillitis
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
POLYSTICHUM setiferum
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Alaska fern
In Hindi
पोई
Soft Shield Fern
In German
Malabarspinat
Grannen-Schildfarn
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Soft Shield Fern
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Soft Shield Fern
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Soft Shield Fern
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Soft Shield Fern
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Soft Shield Fern
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Soft Shield Fern
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Pteridophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Filicopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Polypodiales
Family
Basellaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Genus
Basella
Polystichum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
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Importance of Malabar Spinach and Soft Shield Fern
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Soft Shield Fern. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Soft Shield Fern as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C whereas of Soft Shield Fern is Poultice, Sore throat and Tonsillitis. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Soft Shield Fern has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Soft Shield Fern
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Malabar Spinach vs Soft Shield Fern and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Malabar Spinach are whereas of Soft Shield Fern have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Soft Shield Fern has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Soft Shield Fern is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Soft Shield Fern facts and facts of other plants too.