What it is
Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) is in the Basellaceae family. Not a true spinach, but it gives you a tender green all through the brutal heat when real spinach won't grow.
How to grow it
It wants full sun to part shade, water it moderate, and give it rich, moist soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0–7.0. Space plants about 12 in apart. Expect roughly 55–70. Warm-season; thrives in heat.
How it's used
Malabar Spinach is used: sautéed, soups, raw young.
🔎 How to identify it
- Thick glossy heart-shaped leaves
- Often red-stemmed climbing vine
- Small fleshy berries (staining)
Edibility
PartsLeaves and stems
UsesSautéed, soups, raw young
CautionMucilaginous when cooked — good as a thickener.
🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.
Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.