Life Span
Annual
  
Perennial
  
Type
Herbs
  
Vegetable
  
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
  
Southeastern Asia, India
  
Types
Not Available
  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
  
Habitat
gardens, Wet lands
  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
11-1
  
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
Clump-Forming
  
Vining/Climbing
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
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
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Oval
  
Heart-shaped
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
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
  
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
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
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
  
  
Soil pH
Neutral
  
Neutral
  
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
  
Flowers
No
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Not Available
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
Yes
  
Invasive
No
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
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
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
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Tracheophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Eudicotyledones
  
Order
Lamiales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Lamiaceae
  
Basellaceae
  
Genus
Ocimum
  
Basella
  
Clade
Asterids
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
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: Not Available while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
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 Not Available 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.