Description

🌿 Red Malabar spinach—also known as Basella rubra—is a vibrant, heat-loving vine that’s both ornamental and edible. Unlike true spinach, it thrives in warm, humid climates and is perfect for tropical gardens like yours in Kerala.

🔍 Key Features

• Appearance: Glossy, dark green leaves with striking red-purple stems and veins.
• Growth Habit: Fast-growing climber that can reach up to 10–20 feet with support.
• Taste & Texture: Mildly earthy with hints of citrus and pepper; leaves are fleshy and slightly mucilaginous (like okra when cooked).

🍽️ Culinary Uses

• Use young leaves raw in salads or smoothies.
• Cook mature leaves in stir-fries, curries, soups, or sautéed with garlic and mustard seeds.
• Popular in Indian dishes like poi saag or alugbati curry.

🌱 Growing Tips

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
• Soil: Moist, well-drained, slightly alkaline.
• Watering: Keep consistently moist to prevent bitterness.
• Propagation: Easily grown from seeds or stem cuttings.

💪 Health Benefits

• Rich in Vitamin A, C, iron, calcium, and antioxidants like beta carotene and lutein.
• Traditionally used in Asia for wound healing and digestive health