alabar Spinach [Guyana thick leaf callaloo] Also Known as, Poi Calaloo, Ceylon-, Surinam-, Chinese-, or Vietnamese (mong toi ) spinach, Malabar climbing spinach, broad bologi, poi baagi, callaloo and buffalo spinach. A perennial vine grown for its edible leaves and shoots. It produces green stems and dark green leaves. Used raw or cooked. Provide trellises for support for easy harvesting. Grown as an annual in cold climates. 70 days
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. Climbing to 10 feet or more, Malabar Spinach is a lovely vine for trellises and arbors. It is also commonly referred to as Climbing Spinach Vine, Red Vine Spinach or Creeping Spinach. The Malabar Spinach herb is one of the very few garden herbs that is a vining plant.
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. Red-stemmed and pretty in flower, Green 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.
