Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
China
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Camellia sinensis var. assamica
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Hillside, Mountain Slopes, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
7-9
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
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
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
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
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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 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
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
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
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
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 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
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Ericales
Family
Basellaceae
Theaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Tea Plant
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Tea Plant. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Tea Plant 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 Tea Plant is Diabetes, High cholestrol, Kidney Stones and Parkinson. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Tea Plant has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Tea Plant
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 Tea Plant 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 Tea Plant have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Tea Plant has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Tea Plant is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Tea Plant facts and facts of other plants too.