Sold outRed or greenAn edible wall for Alabama heat← Back to all plantsWhy We Grow It
Basella alba · green or ‘Rubra’
Malabar spinach
Staple crops · Hidden harvests
When ordinary spinach quits, Malabar climbs—glossy succulent greens from an emerald vine or the jewel-toned red-stemmed ‘Rubra’ selection.
- Useful part
- Young leaves and tender stems, raw or cooked
- Climate
- Frost-tender perennial; vigorous summer annual in North Alabama
- Hardy to
- Frost-tender · treat 32°F / 0°C as the lower limit
- Light
- Full sun to part shade with steady moisture
- Ships as
- 20 seeds · choose color
We grow it because intense summer heat becomes an advantage: the vine produces greens when spinach cannot.
Grow with contextThe leaves are naturally mucilaginous and useful for thickening soups. They also contain oxalates; moderate intake if following a low-oxalate diet.
Summer seed releaseCurrently sold out
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