Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, Micronesia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Hannah Yams, Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Cold Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
11-12
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
Vining/Climbing
Minimum Width
Not Available
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Not Available
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Not Available
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Purple, Light Green, Chartreuse, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Not Available
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Stem Cutting, Tuber propagation
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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
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
Aphids, Beetles, Leafminers, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
Not Available
Aphids, Beetles, Mites, white worms
Allergy
Not Available
Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Root, Shoots
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
IPOMOEA batatas
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Vine
In German
Malabarspinat
Süßkartoffel
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Patate douce
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Batata
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Γλυκοπατάτα
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Batata doce
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Słodki ziemniak
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Dulcis SOLANUM TUBEROSUM
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Solanales
Family
Basellaceae
Convolvulaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Not Available
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Sweet Potato
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Sweet Potato. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Sweet Potato 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 Sweet Potato is Potassium, ß-carotene and Vitamin C. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Sweet Potato has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Sweet Potato
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 Sweet Potato 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 Not Available whereas of Sweet Potato have Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Sweet Potato has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Sweet Potato is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Sweet Potato facts and facts of other plants too.
