Life Span
Annual and Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
  
Vegetable
  
Origin
Africa, Madagascar
  
Southeastern Asia, India
  
Types
Pentas lanceolata, Pentas ledermannii
  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
  
Habitat
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
Not Available
  
12*7
  
Sunset Zone
21,22
  
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
Not Available
  
Vining/Climbing
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
White, Red, Purple, Pink
  
Red, Green, Orange Red
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Tan
  
White, Ivory
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
  
Green, Light Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
  
Heart-shaped
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
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
Loam
  
Clay, Loam
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
  
Ground
  
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Low
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
  
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
Loam
  
Clay, Loam
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Prune in spring, Prune in summer, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove hanging branches
  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
  
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 13-13-13 amounts
  
Nitrogen
  
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
  
Aphids
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Yes
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
Yes
  
Invasive
No
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis, To Treat Lymphadenitis
  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root
  
Leaves
  
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
  
Used As Food
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Insignificant
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
  
Botanical Name
PENTAS
  
BASELLA alba
  
Common Name
Pentas, Star flower, Star cluster
  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
  
In Hindi
Pentas plant
  
पोई
  
In German
Pentas Pflanze
  
Malabarspinat
  
In French
plante Pentas
  
L’épinard de Malabar
  
In Spanish
planta pentas
  
espinaca de Malabar
  
In Greek
φυτό Pentas
  
Malabar Σπανάκι
  
In Portuguese
planta Pentas
  
Malabar espinafre
  
In Polish
Pentas roślin
  
Szpinak Malabar
  
In Latin
Pentas herba
  
Spinach Malabar
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Vascular plant
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Eudicotyledones
  
Order
Gentianales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Rubiaceae
  
Basellaceae
  
Genus
Pentas
  
Basella
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Knoxieae
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Rubioideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Importance of Pentas and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Pentas and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Pentas 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 Pentas is Diarrhea, Malaria, Snakebite, To Treat Ascariasis and To Treat Lymphadenitis whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Pentas has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Pentas 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 Pentas 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 Pentas are Not Available whereas of Malabar Spinach have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Pentas has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Pentas is flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Pentas and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.