Vegetable · Basellaceae
Malabar Spinach
Basella alba
Give it heat, steady water, and a trellis to climb, and this vine keeps the salad bowl full all summer.
Full sun
Every 2–4 days
59–95°F · 15–35°C
50–70 days
Overview
Malabar spinach is the leafy green you grow when real spinach gives up in the heat. Despite the name it is no relation to true spinach. It is a twining vine in the family Basellaceae, native to the tropics, and it thrives in exactly the muggy summer weather that makes other greens bolt and turn bitter.
The vine climbs fast and far, easily reaching 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m) on a trellis in a single warm season. Its thick, glossy leaves have a mild flavor with a hint of citrus, good raw in a salad or cooked down like spinach, where they bring a slight thickening to soups and stir-fries.
It asks for little once it is up and climbing. Give it sun, steady moisture, and something vertical to grab, then pinch the tips often to keep fresh leaves coming. The one job that never ends is snapping off flower spikes, because the moment the vine sets seed, the leaves shrink and toughen.
Care
The short version: full sun and real warmth, with a sturdy trellis for the vine to climb. Keep the soil evenly moist, feed it through the season for leafy growth, and pinch the tips to hold off flowering.
Light
This vine wants full sun for the heaviest growth, though it takes a little afternoon shade in the hottest gardens. More sun means more and faster leaves, which is the whole point of growing it.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist, watering roughly every 2 to 4 days and more in a heat wave. Let it dry out and the vine rushes into flower, which shrinks and toughens the leaves you came for.
Soil
Plant in rich, well-drained loam loaded with organic matter. A pH of 6.0 to 6.8, just on the acidic side, suits it well and keeps the leaves coming tender.
Temperature
Heat is the whole game here. The vine grows best between 59°F and 95°F (15°C to 35°C) and sulks in the cold, so there is no rushing it out before the soil warms.
Humidity
Unlike most greens, this one loves humid air and runs best at 60% to 90% relative humidity. That tropical appetite for moisture is exactly why it thrives in muggy summers that flatten true spinach.
Feeding
Feed monthly through the growing season with a balanced, nitrogen-forward fertilizer. The extra nitrogen pushes the leafy growth that makes this vine worth its space.
Pruning
Pinch the growing tips often to force bushy branching and keep tender leaves coming. Just as important, snap off flower spikes the moment they form, since flowering turns the leaves small and tough.
Repotting
Grown as an annual, it rarely needs repotting, but a container plant should be potted up when its roots fill the pot. Watch for 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. Give it strong vertical support and enough room for air to move through the leaves.
When to plant
Malabar spinach is a creature of heat and will not move until the soil is warm. Start seed indoors in late winter, set the plants out only after the last frost has passed and the ground has warmed, then harvest leaves right 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 trouble with this vine shows up on the leaves or in a stall in fresh growth. Catch the early signs and you can keep tender leaves coming for months. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Stunted, wilting plants with knotty galls on the roots
Knobby swellings on the roots point to root-knot nematodes, tiny soil pests that choke off water and feeding. There's no rescue for a badly infested plant, so pull and destroy it, then rotate the bed to a crop the nematodes can't feed on. Building up organic matter helps the soil fight back over time.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy heavily infested plants
- Rotate to non-host crops
- Amend soil with organic matter to support beneficial organisms
Flower spikes appear and the leaves turn small and tough
Once the vine throws up spikes of small flowers and dark berries, it has shifted into seed production and the leaves shrink and toughen. Shorter days, heat, and dry spells all push it there. Pinch the flower spikes off as soon as you see them, keep the soil evenly moist, and harvest the tips often to steer the plant back into leaf.
Fix:
- Pinch out flower spikes promptly
- Keep soil evenly moist
- Harvest tips frequently
Small brown spots with dark edges on the leaves
This is Cercospora leaf spot, a fungus that spreads in warm, wet, humid weather. Pick off the marked leaves, open up the vine with wider trellis spacing for better airflow, and water at the soil line so the foliage stays dry.
Fix:
- Remove and dispose of affected leaves
- Improve air circulation and trellis spacing
- Water at the soil line to keep foliage dry
Vines sprawling and tangling along the ground
Malabar spinach is a twining climber that needs something to grab. With nothing to grip, the stems run flat and knot themselves together. Set a sturdy trellis, fence, or stake at planting and guide the young shoots onto it, since the vine can climb 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
Good news for any household: this is a vegetable, not a poison. Every part is safe around cats, dogs, livestock, and children, and the leaves end up on the dinner plate. The only thing worth knowing 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 to worry about here. A cat that nibbles a leaf may get a mild, brief stomach upset at most, the same as with any unfamiliar green.
Dogs None
Safe around dogs. The leaves and stems carry no toxin, so a curious dog can chew on the vine without harm.
Horses Safe
No danger to horses. This is a leafy vegetable, not a poisonous plant, and grazing on it causes no trouble.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can eat the fresh leaves with no risk. As with any leafy green, work it in gradually so it stays a small part of a balanced diet.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep are fine around this vine. The foliage holds nothing toxic and is sometimes grown as fodder.
Birds Safe
Pet and backyard birds can sample the leaves safely. The plant carries no compounds that would harm them.
People Safe
This is a kitchen vegetable, eaten raw or cooked. The only caveat is that the leaves run high in oxalates, worth knowing if you are 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, set apart mostly by stem color. Both are grown the same way and taste much alike.
Basella alba (green)
This is the standard green-stemmed form, with green stems and thick, succulent green leaves.
Basella alba 'Rubra'
Its red-to-purple stems and leaf veins make it handsome enough to grow as an ornamental as well as for greens.
How to propagate
Malabar spinach is easy to multiply, whether you start from seed or take cuttings off a vine you already grow.
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
Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, or sow straight into warm soil once the cold has passed. The seed coat is hard, so soak it overnight first and the seedlings break ground in roughly 10 to 21 days.
Stem cuttingsEasy
During the warm growing season · Roots form in about 1-3 weeks in warm, moist conditions
Taking cuttings through the warm growing season is the quickest way to more plants. Stand a healthy stem in water or moist media and it roots in about 1 to 3 weeks, giving you a fresh vine with no fuss.
Myths
Malabar spinach is a type of true spinach.
The two only share a name and a use. Malabar spinach is a twining vine in the family Basellaceae, unrelated to true spinach (Spinacia oleracea, in the Amaranthaceae), and it earns its place as a warm-season stand-in when real spinach bolts in the heat.
Because it tastes like spinach, it shares none of spinach's concerns.
It actually shares one of the big ones. The leaves run high in oxalates, just like true spinach, which is worth keeping in mind if you are prone to kidney stones.