Life Span
Biennial or Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Europe
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Leaf beet, Seakettle beet, Spinach beet
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
63
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Cercospora leaf spot, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Downy mildew
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
dark circles, Diarrhea, Runny nose, Vomiting, wheezing
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Moisturizing, Remove blemishes, Slow downs aging, Speed hair growth
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antitumor, Carminative, Haemostatic, Stomachic, Tonic
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Cultivated for fodder, Eaten as a pot herb, Used to make juice
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETA vulgaris ssp. cicla
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Swiss Chard
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Swiss Chard
Lignum Vitae
In German
Swiss Chard
Lignum Vitae
In French
Chard suisse
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Acelgas
Palo santo
In Greek
Σέσκουλο
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Acelga suíça
pau-santo
In Polish
Boćwina
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Swiss Chard
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Beta
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
Cyclolobeae
-
Subfamily
Betoideae
-
Number of Species
33
1
27800
👆🏻