Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Vegetable
Origin
Europe, Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Thodopuza, Red streaked, Alleppey
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
305
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Tropical Forests, Tropical regions, Well Drained
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12*7
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
100.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan, Brown
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Elliptic
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Mid Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Root Division
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut back old stems to the ground, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, Fertilize the soil before planting, organic fertlizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Leaf Hoppers, Mites, Scale, Snails
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Caterpillar, Mites, Rabbits, Snails
-
Allergy
Abdominal distension, Blurred vision, Oral Allergy
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Blood purifying, Making cosmetics, Natural Sunscreen, Remove blemishes, Skin inflammation
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Fixes Nitrogen, Prevent weeds, Provides ground cover
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Abdominal Disease, Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Atherosclerosis, Brain disease, Carminative, Cold, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, Eczema, Liver problems, Menstrual Cramps, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms, Treatment of ulcers, Urinary tract problems
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as an ointment, Used as colouring in foods, Used as insect repellent
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Cutflower, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Curcuma longa
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Turmeric, Curcuma
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
हल्दी
पोई
In German
Kurkuma
Malabarspinat
In French
curcuma
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Curcuma longa
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
κουρκούμη
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
curcuma
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
kurkuma
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
turmeric
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Zingiberales
Caryophyllales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Curcuma
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Zingibereae
-
Subfamily
Zingiberoideae
-
Number of Species
10060
1
27800
👆🏻