Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White, Green
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
-
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
-
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Malabarspinat
In French
Colocasia
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Colocasia
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Colocasia
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Kolokazja
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Colocasia
Spinach Malabar
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Arales
Caryophyllales
Family
Araceae
Basellaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Taro and Malabar Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Taro and Malabar Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Taro 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 Taro is Aging, Laxative and Weight loss whereas of Malabar Spinach is Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Taro has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss while Malabar Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss.
Compare Facts of Taro 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 Taro 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 Taro are Swelling in mouth and Throat itching whereas of Malabar Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Taro has no showy fruits and Malabar Spinach has showy fruits. Also Taro is not flowering and Malabar Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Taro and Malabar Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.