Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Ratibida columnifera
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
2510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Prairies, Rocky areas, rocky outcrops
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-1
12-7
Sunset Zone
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
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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Purple, Burgundy, Light Green, Brown
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Subulate
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Water in morning to avoid prompting diseases
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Rhinitis
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Analgesic
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Used in making tea
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
RATIBIDA columnifera
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Mexican Hat
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Mexican Hat
भारतीय पालक
In German
Mexican Hat
Indian Spinat
In French
Mexican Hat
épinards indienne
In Spanish
mexican Hat
espinaca india
In Greek
Mexican Hat
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Mexican Hat
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Mexican Hat
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Mexicanus Hat
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Asterales
Caryophyllales
Family
Asteraceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Ratibida
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
145
1
27800
👆🏻