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Basella alba
Also called Malabar Spinach, Indian Spinach, Vine Spinach, Malabar Nightshade, Spinach, Buffalo Spinach, Climbing Spinach
Ceylon spinach (Basella alba) is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed climbing vine grown for its thick, heart-shaped leaves, used like spinach. It thrives in warm, humid conditions with full sun and a trellis to climb.
Basella alba is a perennial vine in the family Basellaceae. It is also known by common names including Malabar spinach, vine spinach, Ceylon spinach, alugbati and Indian spinach.
The plant is native to Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea and naturalized elsewhere. It has a number of culinary uses.
The species is native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea. It is naturalized in China, tropical Africa, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, the West Indies, Fiji, and French Polynesia.
The edible leaves are 93% water, 3% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, the leaves supply 19 calories of food energy, and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value) of vitamins A and C, folate, and manganese, with moderate levels of B vitamins and several dietary minerals (table).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Basella alba by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
