Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
3810
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12-7
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
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
150.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Wildlife
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PANICUM virgatum
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Switchgrass
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Switchgrass
भारतीय पालक
In German
Switchgrass
Indian Spinat
In French
switchgrass
épinards indienne
In Spanish
switchgrass
espinaca india
In Greek
switchgrass
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
switchgrass
espinafre indiano
In Polish
switchgrass
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
switchgrass
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Cyperales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Panicum
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
4505
1
27800
👆🏻