Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
1510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
12-7
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
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
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
भारतीय पालक
In German
Prärie Dropseed
Indian Spinat
In French
prairie dropseed
épinards indienne
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
espinaca india
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
espinafre indiano
In Polish
łąka dropseed
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
PRATUM grama
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Poales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
105
1
27800
👆🏻