Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Russia/Siberia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Shrub
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-7-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-1
12*7
Sunset Zone
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
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
Spreading
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2,330.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Green
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Copper
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Sienna, Burgundy, Bronze
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Scale-like imbricate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Shade areas
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Semi-hardwood cuttings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water during dry weather, Water occasionally
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
slow-release fertilizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
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
Other Uses
Used for bedding in gardens
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Edging, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
MICROBIOTA decussata
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Microbiota, Siberian carpet cypress, Russian arbor vitae
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
माइक्रोबायोटा
पोई
In German
Mikrobiota
Malabarspinat
In French
microbiote
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
microbiota
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
μικροχλωρίδας
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
microbiota
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
mikroflory
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Microbiota
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Pinopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Pinales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cupressaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Microbiota
Basella
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
160
1
27800
👆🏻