Indian spinach

Indian spinach (Malabar spinach) is not a "real" spinach because it belongs to a different plant family. But when cooked it looks and tastes similar to true spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and that's how it probably got this name. Actually it got many names, almost all referring to different regions where it is grown.

Being a climbing vine, the Indian spinach can often be found climbing walls or fences. It is a beautiful plant and instead of as a vegetable it could also be grown as an ornamental plant.

This page provides some basic information together with some photos of Indian spinach.

 

Scientific name:	Basella alba L.
Family:	Basellaceae
Order:	Caryophyllales
Common names:	English: Indian spinach, Malabar spinach, Ceylon spinach, East Indian spinach, Surinam spinach, Malabar nightshade, Vine spinach, Indian saag
	Dutch: Oostindische spinazie, Ceylonspinazie, Malabar spinazie
	German: Indischer Spinat, Malabarspinat, Weisse Beerblume
	Spanish: Espinaca basela, Espinaca de Malabar, Espinaca blanca de Malabar, Espinaca de la China
	French: Baselle blanche, Epinard de Malabar, Brède d'Angola
	Italian: Bassella bianca, Spinacio della Cina
Origin:	Indian spinach has its origin in Asia.
Distribution:	Distributed in most tropical regions.
Annual, biennial, or perennial:	Indian spinach is a perennial plant, but in cooler areas it can be grown as an annual during the warmer part of the year.
Flowers:
Leaves and stems:	Indian spinach is a soft-stemmed vine. The green leaves are thick and semi-succulent. The stalks are green or yellowish, but in some cultivars they can be purple or reddish in color.
Fruits:
Climate and weather:	Indian spinach grows in warm tropical climates.
Pollination:
Height:	Indian spinach is a vine that climbs on trellis or walls and can reach 10 meter in length.
Blooming period
Type of soil:	Prefers a humus-rich, sandy loam soil.
Preferred pH:
Moisture:
Light:	Indian spinach grows in full sunlight.
Growth rate:	Indian spinach is a very fast growing vine.
Spacing (close range)	30 cm
Spacing (wide range)
Canopy:
Propagation:	The Indian spinach is usually grown from seed, either direct sowing or transplanted. Seeds are saved by drying the entire fruits which are planted the next year. It can also be grown from stem or tip cuttings.
Insect pests:	No serious insect pests.
Diseases:	Cercospora leaf spot
Fruit development:
Harvesting:	Pick leaves and stem tips.
Uses:	Indian spinach is usually cooked and eaten as a vegetable just like true spinach. It can be combined in many different vegetable dishes, and is sometimes even eaten raw in salads.
Things to know:	Indian spinach is not true spinach; it belongs to a different family of plants. Indian spinach is rich in vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.

Photos

Recipes