Vegetable · Basellaceae
Malabar Spinach
Basella alba
Thick, glossy leaves on succulent twining stems, a vine that looks as full as it grows.
Full sun
Every 2–4 days
59–95°F · 15–35°C
50–70 days
Overview
Malabar spinach shows itself as a vine of thick, glossy leaves carried on stems that twine as they climb. Its name suggests true spinach, but the two are unrelated. This is a twining vine in the family Basellaceae, a tropical plant whose fleshy growth reads as lush even in the heat that leaves other greens limp.
Up close the stems are succulent and pliable, wrapping around a support as they run 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m) up a trellis in one warm season. The leaves are thick and slightly waxy to the touch, deep green and shining, with a mild, faintly citrusy flavor whether they are eaten raw or cooked, where their soft, fleshy texture thickens soups and stir-fries.
In its second form the color deepens, with stems and leaf veins running red to purple against the green. Later in the season the vine sends up slender spikes set with small flowers and dark round berries, and as it does the leaves that follow come in smaller and tougher than the broad, tender ones before them.
Care
The short version: full sun and real warmth, with a sturdy trellis for the succulent stems to twine up. Keep the soil evenly moist, feed through the season for thick leafy growth, and pinch the tips to hold off the flower spikes.
Light
The vine grows thickest in full sun, its leaves broad and deep green, though it takes a little afternoon shade in the hottest gardens. More sun brings more leaves at a faster pace, which is the point of the plant.
Water
The soil stays evenly moist, watered roughly every 2 to 4 days and more in a heat wave. Let it dry and the vine turns to flower, and the fat, tender leaves give way to smaller, tougher ones.
Soil
The plant roots best in rich, well-drained loam high in organic matter. A pH of 6.0 to 6.8, slightly acidic, keeps the leaves coming thick and tender.
Temperature
Heat is what fills this vine out. It grows best between 59°F and 95°F (15°C to 35°C) and stalls in the cold, so it stays in until the soil warms.
Humidity
Where dry air withers most greens, this one holds its glossy fullness in damp air, running best at 60% to 90% relative humidity. That appetite for moisture is why it stays lush through muggy summers that flatten true spinach.
Feeding
The vine is fed monthly through the growing season with a balanced, nitrogen-forward fertilizer. The nitrogen drives the thick, leafy growth that gives the plant its full look.
Pruning
Pinching the growing tips brings bushy branching and a fuller mass of tender leaves. Removing the flower spikes as they rise is just as important, since flowering turns the broad leaves small and tough.
Repotting
Grown as an annual, the vine seldom needs repotting, though a container plant is potted up once its roots fill the pot. The signs are roots circling the container, fast wilting between waterings, and stalled new growth.
Size & spacing
On a trellis the vine climbs 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m) tall and spreads 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) wide. It needs strong vertical support and room for air to move through the dense leaves.
When to plant
Malabar spinach waits on heat and puts on no growth until the soil is warm. Seed starts indoors in late winter, and the young plants, with their first fleshy leaves, go out only after the last frost once the ground has warmed. From there the thick leaves come in for harvest through the warm season.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6-8 weeks before the last expected spring frost
- Plant: after all danger of frost has passed and soil is warm (above ~18°C / 65°F), trained onto a trellis or other vertical support
- Harvest: harvest leaves continually once vines are established through the warm season
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 7–12
Temperature: down to -18°C
Troubleshooting
Most of what goes wrong on this vine is written on the leaves themselves, in their spots, their size, and their texture, or in a stall in the fresh growth at the tips. Read those changes early and the broad, tender leaves keep coming for months. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Drooping, undersized plants whose roots bear knotted swellings
Knobby, knotted swellings along the roots are the mark of root-knot nematodes, tiny soil pests that cut off water and feeding so the vine yellows and wilts. A badly infested plant is beyond saving and is pulled and destroyed, then the bed is rotated to a crop the nematodes cannot feed on. Building organic matter into the soil helps it recover over time.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy heavily infested plants
- Rotate to non-host crops
- Amend soil with organic matter to support beneficial organisms
Slender bloom spikes rising while the leaves grow small and firm
When slender spikes of small flowers and dark berries rise from the vine, it has turned to seed production, and the broad leaves that follow come in smaller and tougher. Shorter days, heat, and dry spells all push it there. Pinch off the flower spikes as soon as they show, keep the soil evenly moist, and harvest the tips often to bring the full leaves back.
Fix:
- Pinch out flower spikes promptly
- Keep soil evenly moist
- Harvest tips frequently
Tiny tan and brown blotches with dark outlines dotting the leaves
Those small tan-to-brown marks ringed in darker edges are Cercospora leaf spot, a fungus that spreads in warm, wet, humid weather. Pick off the spotted leaves, space the vine wider on its trellis so air moves through the foliage, and water at the soil line so the leaf surfaces stay dry.
Fix:
- Remove and dispose of affected leaves
- Improve air circulation and trellis spacing
- Water at the soil line to keep foliage dry
A mat of tangled runners creeping over the soil surface
Malabar spinach is a twining climber, and its succulent stems reach out for something to coil around. Given nothing, they run flat and knot into each other along the soil. A sturdy trellis, fence, or stake goes in at planting and the young shoots are wound onto it, since the vine climbs past 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m).
Fix:
- Install a sturdy trellis, fence, or stake
- Gently train young shoots onto the support
Toxicity
For all its lush, fleshy look, this is a vegetable and not a poison. The thick leaves and succulent stems are safe around cats, dogs, livestock, and children, and they end up on the plate. The one thing to know is that those leaves are high in oxalates, the same as true spinach, which matters for people prone to kidney stones.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Nothing here threatens a cat. One that nibbles a thick leaf might have a mild, brief stomach upset at most, no different from any unfamiliar green.
Dogs None
Safe around dogs. The glossy leaves and fleshy stems carry no toxin, so a curious dog can chew the vine without harm.
Horses Safe
No danger to horses. This is a leafy vegetable rather than a poisonous plant, and grazing on the foliage causes no trouble.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can eat the fresh leaves without risk. As with any leafy green, it is worked in gradually so it stays a small part of a balanced diet.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep are safe near the vine. The foliage holds nothing toxic and is sometimes grown as fodder.
Birds Safe
A bird pecking at the thick, glossy leaves takes in nothing dangerous. No harmful compound exists anywhere in the plant.
People Safe
This is a kitchen vegetable, the thick leaves eaten raw or cooked. The only caveat is their high oxalate content, worth knowing for anyone prone to kidney stones.
Leaves are high in oxalates (as with true spinach), a dietary consideration for people prone to kidney stones, not a pet-poisoning concern.
Varieties
Only a couple of forms turn up in gardens, and the eye tells them apart at once by the color of their stems. Both grow the same way and taste much alike.
Basella alba (green)
The green form shows green stems throughout and thick, succulent green leaves with a glossy surface.
Basella alba 'Rubra'
Red to purple color runs through its stems and leaf veins, striking enough that the plant is grown as an ornamental as well as for greens.
How to propagate
More of this vine comes easily, from seed or from a length of its own succulent stem cut off an existing plant.
SeedEasy
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost or direct sow after soil warms · Germination in roughly 10-21 days; soaking or scarifying the hard seed coat speeds emergence
Seed starts indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, or goes into warm soil once the cold has passed. The seed coat is hard and dark, so an overnight soak softens it, and the seedlings push up in roughly 10 to 21 days.
Stem cuttingsEasy
During the warm growing season · Roots form in about 1-3 weeks in warm, moist conditions
A length of the succulent stem, cut through the warm growing season, is the quickest way to a new plant. Stood in water or moist media, it forms roots in about 1 to 3 weeks and grows into a fresh vine.
Myths
Malabar spinach and true spinach are the same plant.
The two meet only at the name and the flavor. Malabar spinach is a twining vine in the family Basellaceae, its fleshy climbing stems nothing like true spinach (Spinacia oleracea, in the Amaranthaceae), and it fills in as a warm-season green when real spinach bolts in the heat.
A spinach taste means none of spinach's concerns.
One concern carries straight over. The leaves run high in oxalates, just like true spinach, which is worth knowing for anyone prone to kidney stones.