Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
10-11
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
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
V-Shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, 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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
-
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
-
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Elephant Ear, Taro
In German
Malabarspinat
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Colocasia
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Colocasia
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Colocasia
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Colocasia
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Kolokazja
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Colocasia
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Arales
Family
Basellaceae
Araceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Taro
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Taro. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Taro 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 Taro is Aging, Laxative and Weight loss. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Taro has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Taro
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 Taro 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 Taro have Swelling in mouth and Throat itching respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Taro has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Taro is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Taro facts and facts of other plants too.