Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Vegetable
Origin
South America
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Portulaca grandiflora
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Habitat
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-11
-9999
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-7
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 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
Prostrate/Trailing
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Red
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Round
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Well drained
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shearing
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Whole plant
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Cottage garden, Edible
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PORTULACA grandiflora
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Portulaca
भारतीय पालक
In German
Portulak
Indian Spinat
In French
portulaca
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Portulaca
espinaca india
In Greek
Portulaca
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Portulaca
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Portulaca
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
Portulaca
Spinach Indian
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Portulacaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Portulaca and Indian Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Portulaca and Indian Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Portulaca and Indian 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 Portulaca is Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite and Swelling whereas of Indian Spinach is Astringent. Portulaca has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems while Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems.
Compare Facts of Portulaca vs Indian 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 Portulaca vs Indian 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 Portulaca are whereas of Indian Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Portulaca has no showy fruits and Indian Spinach has showy fruits. Also Portulaca is not flowering and Indian Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Portulaca and Indian Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.