Life Span
Perennial
Annual or Biennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Europe
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Amber globe, Baby bunch turnips, Purple top
Number of Varieties
530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Fields, Vegetable Gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
9-3
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm25.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm20.30 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Sienna, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
White, Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
White, Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
White, Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Broad
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, 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
Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, 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
Alternaria Leaf Spot, Anthracnose, Cercospora leaf spot, Downy mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Beet armyworms, Caterpillar, white worms
Allergy
-
angioedema, Oral Allergy, Urticaria
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin and hair
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
Bone strength, Cancer, Cardiovascular problems, Lung Problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Shoots
Other Uses
Used As Food
Food for animals, Used as a vegetable, Used in salads
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
BRASSICA rapa 'Hakurei'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Turnip
In Hindi
पोई
शलजम
In German
Malabarspinat
Rübe
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Navet
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Nabo
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Γογγύλι
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Nabo
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Rzepa
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
rapa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Brassicales
Family
Basellaceae
Brassicaceae
Genus
Basella
Brassica
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Brassiceae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
60-
1
27800
👆🏻