Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Canada, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
385
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Prairies
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
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 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
White, Ivory
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
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Sandy Brown
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Root Division
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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, 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, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
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
-
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
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, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Switchgrass
पोई
In German
Switchgrass
Malabarspinat
In French
switchgrass
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
switchgrass
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
switchgrass
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
switchgrass
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
switchgrass
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
switchgrass
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cyperales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Panicum
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
45060
1
27800
👆🏻