Malabar Spinach - Jungle perennial vine grown as summer salad green

Malabar Spinach is not related to regular spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Basella alba is an edible perennial vine in the family Basellaceae. It is found in tropical Asia and Africa where it is widely used as a leaf vegetable. It is known under various common names, including Pui, vine spinach, red vine spinach, climbing spinach, creeping spinach, buffalo spinach, malabar spinach and ceylon spinach. Basella alba is native to the Indian Subcontinent, southeast Asia and New Guinea.

Basella alba is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed vine, reaching 10 metres (33 ft) in length. Its thick, semi-succulent, heart-shaped leaves have a mild flavor and mucilaginous texture. The stem of the cultivar Basella alba 'Rubra' is reddish-purple.



Basella alba grows well under full sunlight in hot, humid climates. The plant is native to tropical Asia. Malabar spinach is extremely frost-sensitive. "It creeps when temperatures are cool, but leaps when they hit hit 90 F." If given a trellis and pruning, it can become a decorative hedge. And you can eat/cook your trimmings. People who grow it eat from it all the time.

The succulent mucilage is a rich source of soluble fiber. Malabar spinach may be used to thicken soups or stir-fries with garlic and chili peppers.



John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ shares with you his favorite leafy green summer crop that prefers warm, hot weather. The Red Malabar Spinach Vine. In this episode, John shares growing information about Malabar Spinach as well as shows you how you can use this unique vegetable fresh to make some delicious garden vegetable wraps.



References:

Basella alba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://bit.ly/1uTwQkT
Malabar Spinach http://bit.ly/1oSPiEp
What Is Malabar Spinach? | The Kitchn http://bit.ly/1uTxlLS
Spinach, Red Malabar | Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co http://bit.ly/1uTxxdS
Malabar Spinach - Dr. Weil's Healthy Garden http://bit.ly/1uTxMFV
Red Malabar Spinach - Johnny's Selected Seeds http://bit.ly/1uTyUt8
Red Stem Malabar Spinach - Park Seed http://bit.ly/1uTyYcr
Red-Stemmed Malabar Spinach—A Deliciously Stunning Vine - Brooklyn Botanic Garden http://bit.ly/1uTz4AF
Malabar spinach: Jungle vine grown as summer salad green - Los Angeles Times http://lat.ms/1uTz57W