Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Asia, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Apricot Gold, Butter Yellow, Orange Supreme, Dan
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
305
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Woodland Garden Canopy
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Orange
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Blue, Black
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
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
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval, Finely Dentate
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
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Fall, Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Semi-hardwood cuttings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove no more than one-third of each branch
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-purpose dry fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
-
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Nematodes
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin and hair
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antitussive
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Flowers, Fruits, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as essential oil, Used as insect repellent, Used in herbal medicines, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
OSMANTHUS fragrans
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Sweet olive, Sweet osmanthus, Tea olive
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Sweet Olive
पोई
In German
Sweet Olive
Malabarspinat
In French
Olive douce
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Oliva dulce
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
γλυκό Ελιά
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Olive doce
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
słodki Olive
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Dulce Olive
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Scrophulariales
Caryophyllales
Family
Oleaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Osmanthus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Oleeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1560
1
27800
👆🏻