Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Asia, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Apricot Gold, Butter Yellow, Orange Supreme, Dan
Number of Varieties
530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Dappled Shade, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-11
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Blue, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark 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
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval, Finely Dentate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Semi-hardwood cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs
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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove no more than one-third of each branch
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-purpose dry fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Nematodes
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin and hair
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
Antitussive
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Bark, Flowers, Fruits, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as essential oil, Used as insect repellent, Used in herbal medicines, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
OSMANTHUS fragrans
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Sweet olive, Sweet osmanthus, Tea olive
In Hindi
पोई
Sweet Olive
In German
Malabarspinat
Sweet Olive
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Olive douce
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Oliva dulce
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
γλυκό Ελιά
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Olive doce
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
słodki Olive
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Dulce Olive
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Scrophulariales
Family
Basellaceae
Oleaceae
Genus
Basella
Osmanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Oleeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6015
1
27800
👆🏻