Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Not avilable
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
105
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*7
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
Weeping
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
4.20 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Alkaline, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
-
Neutral
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Itchiness
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
-
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
Fruits, Nut
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
पोई
In German
Selenicereus
Malabarspinat
In French
Selenicereus
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Selenicereus
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Selenicereus
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Selenicereus
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
moonlight cactus
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Selenicereus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Hylocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
160
1
27800
👆🏻