Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
World/Pandemic, North America, Europe
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Lustrous Creeping Red Fescue, Rubra trichophylla, Rubra rubra
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
15
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Wide range of ecological site
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-7-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7 - 1
12*7
Sunset Zone
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 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
Mat-forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
5.10 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune grass to maintain level
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in fall
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Billbugs, Dollar spot, Pythium blight, Red blotch, Red thread, White grubs
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
-
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bugs
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
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
Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edging, Groundcover, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
FESTUCA rubra
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Red Fescue
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Red Fescue
पोई
In German
Rotschwingel
Malabarspinat
In French
fétuque rouge
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
festuca roja
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
κόκκινο Φεστούκα
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Red festuca
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Kostrzewa czerwona
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Red Fescue
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cyperales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Festuca
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
30060
1
27800
👆🏻