Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Northeastern United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Tree
Number of Varieties
515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Hills, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99993-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
9-1
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm-
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm6.10 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Red, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green, Chartreuse, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Light Yellow
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblong or Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Medium
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full 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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
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
Antiseptic, cathartic, Cough, Indigestion
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Seeds, Wood
Other Uses
Used As Food
Animal Feed, Roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making wood alcohol, Wood is used in construction
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
GLEDITSIA triacanthos f. inermis
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Thornless Honeylocust
In Hindi
पोई
thornless honeylocust
In German
Malabarspinat
thornless honeylocust
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
thornless Honeylocust
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
honeylocust sin espinas
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
thornless honeylocust
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
honeylocust thornless
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
thornless honeylocust
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
thornless honeylocust
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Basella
Gleditsia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6020
1
27800
👆🏻