Plants

Malabar spinach

Basella alba

Family: Basellaceae · Genus: Basella

vine spinach, Ceylon spinach, Indian spinach

Placenta I Low No biomass production

Malabar spinach — CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

A vigorous perennial soft-stemmed climbing vine grown as an annual, native to tropical Asia and widely naturalized in Brazil. Its thick, mucilaginous, heart-shaped leaves are an unconventional food plant (PANC) eaten sautéed or in soups, with a mild flavour. The red-purple-stemmed variety also yields a natural dye.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Basella rubra L., Basella cordifolia Lam., Basella lucida L.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage: Placenta I
Ecological role: Pioneer
Primary stratum: Low
Strata: Low, Medium
Biomass class: No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: High
Drought tolerance: Low
Waterlogging tolerance: Moderate
Soil pH range: 5.5–7
Preferred soil texture: Loamy
Hardiness zones: 10–12
Frost tolerance: 0.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height: 2–10 m
Recommended spacing: 0.3–0.6 m
Root system: Fibrous
Root depth: Shallow
Growth rate: Very fast
Lifespan: 1–3 years
Time to first harvest: 2 months
Productive lifespan: 2 years

Biomes & climate

Atlantic Forest Suitable
Amazon Suitable

Köppen classes

Tropical rainforest (Af) Suitable
Tropical monsoon (Am) Suitable
Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable
Humid subtropical (Cfa) Suitable

Where it fits in a guild

Malabar spinach takes the Low stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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✂️ Management & Pruning

Train the shoots up a trellis, fence or arbour and harvest cut-and-come-again from the tips and leaves, which triggers side shoots and keeps the vine productive and tender. Cut back leggy, fibrous growth and remove flower spikes to prolong the leafy phase.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: February, March, April, May

Fruiting months: April, May, June

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of Malabar spinach?

The first harvest of Malabar spinach comes around 2 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for Malabar spinach?

The recommended spacing for Malabar spinach is 0.3–0.6 m.

How tall does Malabar spinach grow?

At maturity, Malabar spinach reaches 2–10 m tall.

When does Malabar spinach fruit?

Fruiting of Malabar spinach occurs in April, May, June.

When does Malabar spinach flower?

Flowering of Malabar spinach occurs in February, March, April, May.

What stage and stratum does Malabar spinach occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, Malabar spinach belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the low stratum.

Functions

Medicinal Dye Ground cover

Propagation

Seed, Cutting

Citations

Wikipedia (Basella alba) (scientific_name, common_names, description, strata, light_need, water_need, ph_min, ph_max, external_ids)
POWO (Kew) (scientific_name, family, powo_id)
Kinupp & Lorenzi, Plantas Alimentícias Não Convencionais (PANC) no Brasil (pruning_notes, lifespan_years_min, lifespan_years_max, productive_lifespan_years)