Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
155
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12*7
Sunset Zone
2b, 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, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
-
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
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
पोई
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Malabarspinat
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cyperales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Nassella
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
11660
1
27800
👆🏻