Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Ocimum basilicum purpurascens
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
gardens, Wet lands
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
-9999
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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Purple, Light Pink, Lavender
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
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
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand, Well drained
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Water when 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 Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
No
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
-
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders, Vomiting
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Insignificant
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
OCIMUM basilicum var. purpurascens
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Purple Basil
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
बैंगनी तुलसी के पौधे
पोई
In German
Lila Basilikum Pflanze
Malabarspinat
In French
plante de basilic pourpre
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
planta de albahaca morada
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Μωβ βασιλικό φυτό
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Planta da manjericão roxo
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Purpurowy bazylia roślin
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Ocimum, herba Purple
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Lamiaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Purple Basil and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Purple Basil and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Purple Basil 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 Purple Basil is Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders and Vomiting whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Purple Basil has beauty benefits as follows: while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Purple Basil 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 Purple Basil 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 Purple Basil are Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash and Vomiting whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Purple Basil has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Purple Basil is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Purple Basil and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.