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
  
Habitat
Desert
  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
Not Available
  
12*7
  
Sunset Zone
Not Available
  
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 Width
Not Available
  
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
Not Available
  
Green, Light Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Not Available
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Not Available
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Succulent
  
Heart-shaped
  
Thorns
Yes
  
No
  
Plant Season
Not Available
  
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, Not Available
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
Not Available
  
Yes
  
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
Not Available
  
Neutral
  
Soil Type
Not Available
  
Clay, Loam
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Not Available
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Not Available
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Pruning
Not Available
  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
  
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Nitrogen
  
Pests and Diseases
Not Available
  
Aphids
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Yes
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
Not Available
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Bold
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Not Available
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
Yes
  
Invasive
No
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Itchiness
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Not Available
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Not Available
  
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
Yes
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Not Available, 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
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Cactoideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Importance of Moonlight cactus and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Moonlight cactus and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Moonlight cactus and Malabar Spinach as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Moonlight cactus is Not Available whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Moonlight cactus has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Moonlight cactus vs Malabar Spinach
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Moonlight cactus vs Malabar Spinach and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Moonlight cactus are Itchiness whereas of Malabar Spinach have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Moonlight cactus has showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Moonlight cactus is flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Moonlight cactus and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.