Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Cathay Belle
Diana
Gold Baby
Gold Flower
Golden Midget
Golden Sunrise
Number of Varieties
51200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-4
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, 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
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2.40 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Yellow, Light Yellow, Dark Green, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Light Yellow
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Light Yellow
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Light Yellow
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
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
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Over-watering can cause leaf problems or root diseases, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
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, Nitrogen, Water soluble fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Bacterial fruit blotch, Cabbage looper, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Red blotch
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
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
Nutrients, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
CITRULLUS lanatus 'Moon and Stars'
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Moon and Stars Watermelon, Watermelon
In Hindi
पोई
तरबूज़
In German
Malabarspinat
Wassermelone
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Pastèque
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
sandía
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
καρπούζι
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
melancia
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
arbuz
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
PEPO
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Basellaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Basella
Citrullus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
601000
1
27800
👆🏻