Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, Australia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
55
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Warm and moist climatic conditions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12*7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 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
610.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Light Pink, Ivory
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Plum
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
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
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Get enough water whenever the soil is dry
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
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid 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
Birds, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibiotic, Cough, Headache, hemorrhoids, Respiratory Disorders, Rheumatism
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Flowers, Leaves, Wood
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as essential oil
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
MELALEUCA quinquenervia
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Cajeput Tree, Paperbark Tree, Punk Tree
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Paperbark tree
पोई
In German
Paperbark tree
Malabarspinat
In French
Paperbark tree
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Paperbark tree
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Paperbark tree
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Paperbark tree
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Paperbark tree
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Paperbark tree
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Myrtales
Caryophyllales
Family
Myrtaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Melaleuca
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1360
1
27800
👆🏻