Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Madagascar
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
All sorts of environments
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Lavender
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Oval
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Reduce watering in winter
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 Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
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
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
-
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
HYPOESTES phyllostachya
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Polka Dot Plant, Polkadot Plant
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Polka dot plant
पोई
In German
Tupfen-Anlage
Malabarspinat
In French
Polka dot usine de
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Planta de lunares
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Φυτό πουά
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Planta bolinhas
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Grochy roślin
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Facies dot herba
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Acanthaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Polka Dot Plant and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Polka Dot Plant and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Polka Dot Plant 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 Polka Dot Plant is whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Polka Dot Plant has beauty benefits as follows: while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Polka Dot Plant 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 Polka Dot Plant 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 Polka Dot Plant are whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Polka Dot Plant has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Polka Dot Plant is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Polka Dot Plant and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.