Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Greener Pastures
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
55
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 3
12*7
Sunset Zone
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
Minimum Height
45.70 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
5.10 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Purple
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
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
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Leaves
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ERAGROSTIS spectabilis
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Purple Lovegrass
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
eragrostis spectabilis
पोई
In German
eragrostis spectabilis
Malabarspinat
In French
eragrostis spectabilis
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Eragrostis spectabilis
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
eragrostis spectabilis
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Eragrostis spectabilis
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Eragrostis okazałe
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Eragrostis spectabilis
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cyperales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Eragrostis
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Eragrostideae
-
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
-
Number of Species
360
1
27800
👆🏻