Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Cherry laurel, California Bay Laurel, Spotted laurel
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Tropical regions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9
-9999
Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White, Ivory
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Orange Red
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan, Silver
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
Oval
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
-
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Stem Planting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, 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 pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Fusarium wilt, Rust, Scab
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
allergic conjunctivitis, Nausea, wheezing
-
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Hair Conditioner, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
Sometimes
Yes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Cancer, Diarrhea, Emollient, Migraines, Oral health, treating poison ivy
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaf Stalks, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Florist trade and landscaping, Making Perfumes, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Shade Trees
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Laurus nobilis
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Sweetbay
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Laurus nobilis
पोई
In German
Echter Lorbeer
Malabarspinat
In French
Laurus nobilis
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Laurus nobilis
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Laurus nobilis
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Loureiro
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Wawrzyn szlachetny
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Laurus nobilis
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Laurales
Caryophyllales
Family
Magnoliaceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Subfamily
Epidendroideae
-
Importance of Sweetbay and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Sweetbay and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Sweetbay 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 Sweetbay is Acne, Cancer, Diarrhea, Emollient, Migraines, Oral health and treating poison ivy whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Sweetbay has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles, Hair Conditioner and Making cosmetics while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles, Hair Conditioner and Making cosmetics.
Compare Facts of Sweetbay 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 Sweetbay 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 Sweetbay are allergic conjunctivitis, Nausea and wheezing whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Sweetbay has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Sweetbay is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Sweetbay and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.