Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
India, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Cornus controversa
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
15
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Woodland Garden Canopy
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,070.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Ivory
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Burgundy, Dark Blue, Black
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Yellow, Burgundy, Dark Red
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
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
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering during dry weather
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Canker, Powdery mildew
Aphids
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
Birds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used in parkland
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiphlogistic
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Oil used in the lubricating and soap industry
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Shade Trees, Street Trees
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CORNUS controversa
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Giant Dogwood, Wedding Cake Tree
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Wedding Cake Tree
पोई
In German
Hochzeitstorte Baum
Malabarspinat
In French
Gâteau de mariage Arbre
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Pastel de bodas del árbol
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Γαμήλια τούρτα Δέντρο
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Árvore do bolo de casamento
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Wedding Cake Drzewo
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
MUSTACEUM ligno
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cornales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cornaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cornus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Cornoideae
-
Number of Species
360
1
27800
👆🏻