Life Span
Perennial
-
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Camellia sinensis var. assamica
Number of Varieties
52
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Hillside, Mountain Slopes, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
8-5
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, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
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
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Fall, Late Fall, Early Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Keep ground moist, Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Requires a lot of watering, Water when soil is dry
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
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Generally pruned to waist height, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Caterpillars, Moth, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
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
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
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
Diabetes, High cholestrol, Kidney Stones, Parkinson
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Preferably used as black tea, Used for producing cooking oil, Used in making beverages
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CAMELLIA sinensis
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Tea, Tea Camellia
In Hindi
पोई
चाय के पौधे
In German
Malabarspinat
Teepflanze
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
usine de thé
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
planta del té
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
φυτό του τσαγιού
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
planta do chá
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Herbata roślin
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Tea herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Ericales
Family
Basellaceae
Theaceae
Genus
Basella
Camellia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
601
1
27800
👆🏻