Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fern
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Thelypteris kunthii, Dryopteris ludoviciana, Polystichum acrostichoides
Number of Varieties
5-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Damp shady woods, Wet ground, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-8
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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
-
Fall, Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Water Deeply, Water in morning to avoid prompting diseases, Water occasionally, Water slowly, and allow to dry completely between soakings
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
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly 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
Leaf curl, Leaf rust, Red blotch, Scale, Scale insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
-
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bog Garden, Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Used As Food
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Groundcover, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
THELYPTERIS kunthii
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Kunth's maiden fern, southern shield fern, maiden ferns
In Hindi
पोई
Southern Shield Fern
In German
Malabarspinat
Southern Shield Fern
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Southern Shield Fern
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Southern Shield Fern
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Southern Shield Fern
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Southern Shield Fern
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Southern Shield Fern
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Southern Shield Fern
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Eudicotyledones
Polypodiopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Polypodiales
Family
Basellaceae
Thelypteridaceae
Genus
Basella
Thelypteris
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60180
1
27800
👆🏻