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Malabar Spinach Seeds
About...
Malabar Spinach (Basella Rubra) - If you are looking for a different flavor from traditional spinach, then this gorgeous combination of deep green leaves set against burgundy stems and violet blooms will be perfect in your herb garden. Edible leaves grown from Malabar Spinach seeds can be used throughout summer and will flourish in heat and humidity.MORE HERB OPTIONS
Herb Specifications
SEASON
Perennial
USDA ZONES
8 - 11
HEIGHT
120 inches
BLOOM SEASON
Mid summer
BLOOM COLOR
Purple & White
ENVIRONMENT
Full sun to partial shade
SOIL TYPE
Prefers moist, fertile soils, high in organic matter, pH 6.5 to 6.8
DEER RESISTANT
No
LATIN NAME
Basella Rubra
Planting Directions
TEMPERATURE
65 - 75F
AVERAGE GERM TIME
14 - 21 days, scarify seed to hasten germination
LIGHT REQUIRED
Yes
DEPTH
Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep
SOWING RATE
1 -2 seeds per plant
MOISTURE
Keep seeds moist until germination
PLANT SPACING
9 - 12 inches
Malabar Spinach (Basella Rubra) - If you are looking for a different flavor from traditional spinach, then this gorgeous combination of deep green leaves set against burgundy stems and violet blooms will be perfect in your herb garden. Edible leaves grown from Malabar Spinach seeds can be used throughout summer and will flourish in heat and humidity. Young leaves of this herb plant can be cooked and added to recipes and fresh leaves make a great salad. It is also commonly referred to as Climbing Spinach Vine, Red Vine Spinach or Creeping Spinach.
Vining herb
Climbing to 10 feet or more, Malabar Spinach is a lovely vine for trellises and arbors. This herb is one of the very few garden herbs that is a vining plant.
Herb seed | malabar spinach
Plant specifications
Red-stemmed and pretty in flower, red Malabar spinach is a fast-growing vine that has both ornamental and culinary qualities. Red Vine Spinach requires a trellis or other support for the twining vine.
A native of India, Malabar Spinach is a fully evergreen tender perennial herb with densely twining, rambling stems that can become thick and often require management to keep them from overtaking supports. Grow these herb seeds as a perennial in frost free zones and as an annual herb in colder zones.
- Sowing Rate: 1 - 2 seeds per plant
- Average Germ Time: 14 - 21 days
- Keep moist until germination
- Attracts bees and butterflies
- Depth: 1/4 inch
How to grow
How To Grow Malabar Climbing Spinach: Once frost danger has passed, plant the Malabar Spinach seeds directly in the herb garden. Some gardeners recommend scarifying the herb seeds to improve germination. Cover the Basella Rubra seeds with 1/4 inch of soil and keep the soil adequately moist.
- Height: 120 inches
- USDA Zones: 8 - 11
- Season: Perennial
- Deer Resistant: No
Flower Specifications
SEASON
Perennial
USDA ZONES
5 - 8
HEIGHT
24 - 36 inches
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring through summer
BLOOM COLOR
Mix
ENVIRONMENT
Full sun
SOIL TYPE
Well-drained, pH 5.8 - 6.8
DEER RESISTANT
Yes
LATIN NAME
Verbascum Phoenicium
Planting Directions
TEMPERATURE
68F
AVERAGE GERM TIME
14 - 21 days
LIGHT REQUIRED
Yes
DEPTH
Do not cover the seed but press into the soil
SOWING RATE
8 seeds per plant
MOISTURE
Keep seeds moist until germination
PLANT SPACING
18 - 24 inches
CARE & MAINTENANCE
Verbascum (Verbascum Phoenicium Hybrids Mix) - This free flowering mix grown from Verbascum seeds will give your garden weeks of lovely colors. Commonly called Purple Mullein, this plant has dark green, crinkly leaves and beautiful spikes of papery-thin, round 5 - petaled blooms in shades of white, rose, and violet. The Purple Mullein plant starts blooming from the bottom of the spike and proceeds upward, opening one by one. Mullein flowers look lovely in a mixed border, and they can bloom from late spring up until the first frost. It is both deer and rabbit resistant, and butterflies love it! Verbascum flowers are excellent for cutting as well. Also considered to be a medicinal herb, the Mullein herb has diuretic, analgesic, expectorant, and antiseptic properties.
How To Grow Mullein From Seed: Plant Mullein seeds indoors 6 - 8 weeks before last frost date. Lightly press the Verbascum flower seeds into the soil, but do not cover with soil since the seeds need light to germinate. Keep constantly moist, not wet, and the herb seeds will germinate in 14 - 21 days. For outdoor sowing, wait until frost danger has passed, and sow Purple Mullein seeds directly into prepared seed bed. Spacing should be about 18 - 24 inches apart. Verbascum Mullein will bloom the first year if the flower seeds are sown early enough in the season. Flowers can be left on to self-seed or can be deadheaded to encourage more blooming.