Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Taonabo japonica, Cleyera ochnacea
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
55
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
secondary forest, Temperate Regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12*7
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Bronze
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Dark Green, Bronze
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, occasional watering once established
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
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove dead branches
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Compost
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Leaf rust, Phytophthora Root Rot, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Humidity, Soil Compaction
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Fruit Bats, Snails, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Asthma, Nausea, Pollen, sneezing
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Provides herbal hair care, Remove blemishes
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Insect Repellent, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Arthritis, Eczema, Oedema
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
TERNSTROEMIA gymnanthera
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Sakaki
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Sakaki
पोई
In German
Sperrstrauch
Malabarspinat
In French
Sakaki
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Sakaki
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Sakaki
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Sakaki
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Sakaki
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Sakaki
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Theales
Caryophyllales
Family
Theaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cleyera
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1860
1
27800
👆🏻