About
Basella alba is a perennial vine often cultivated as a summer annual in the UK. Its edible leaves are utilized much like spinach in various dishes. The plant produces small white flowers, occasionally tinged with purple, adding visual interest to vegetable gardens.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand, Clay
- Soil pH
- Neutral, Acid, Alkaline
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1C
Plant details
- Plant type
- Climber Wall Shrub
- Habit
- Climbing
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
- Suggested uses
- Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Plant out after the risk of frost has passed. Fertile, moisture retentive soil in full sun will produce good growth. Harvest young leaves; frequent picking will encourage more growth. Provide support for stems to twine up
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free