Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Vegetable
Origin
Africa, Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Cathay Belle
Diana
Gold Baby
Gold Flower
Golden Midget
Golden Sunrise
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
120010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-4
12-7
Sunset Zone
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, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Prostrate/Trailing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Dark Green, Black
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Light Yellow
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Light Yellow
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Light Yellow
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lobed
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Over-watering can cause leaf problems or root diseases, 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
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
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
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen, Water soluble fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Bacterial fruit blotch, Cabbage looper, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Nutrients, Vitamin C
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CITRULLUS lanatus 'Moon and Stars'
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Moon and Stars Watermelon, Watermelon
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
तरबूज़
भारतीय पालक
In German
Wassermelone
Indian Spinat
In French
Pastèque
épinards indienne
In Spanish
sandía
espinaca india
In Greek
καρπούζι
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
melancia
espinafre indiano
In Polish
arbuz
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
PEPO
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Citrullus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
10005
1
27800
👆🏻