Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
-
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
-
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Lawn, Pastures, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
9-11
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
9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Orange, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Sea Green, Silver
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Three Lobed
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Get enough water whenever the soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
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
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Allergy
-
Irritation to stomach
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
anti inflammatory, Antispasmodic, Cardiotonic, Carminative, Febrifuge
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Seedpod
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used for making green dye
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
Lotus corniculatus
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Trefoil
In German
Malabarspinat
Gewöhnlicher Hornklee
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Lotier corniculé
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Lotus corniculatus
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Trefoil
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Lotus corniculatus
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Komonica zwyczajna
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
trefoil
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Basellaceae
Fabaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Importance of Malabar Spinach and Trefoil
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Malabar Spinach and Trefoil. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Malabar Spinach and Trefoil 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 Trefoil is anti inflammatory, Antispasmodic, Cardiotonic, Carminative and Febrifuge. Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: while Trefoil has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Malabar Spinach vs Trefoil
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 Trefoil 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 Trefoil have Irritation to stomach respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Malabar Spinach has showy fruits and Trefoil has no showy fruits. Also Malabar Spinach is not flowering and Trefoil is not flowering . You can compare Malabar Spinach and Trefoil facts and facts of other plants too.