Basella rubra var Red Malabar Large, mild-flavored green leaves with scarlet stems look terrific climbing up a trellis or fence ! It is also a great indoor plant in a hanging pot.The thick, dark green leaves of this edible ornamental provide tasty greens throughout the summer, when traditional spinach will not grow. The mild flavor makes Red Stem equally good cooked or fresh, with a slight citrus or acidic flavor. The leaves are thick and can handle heat, but are similar to cooking with okra in terms of the thickness it creates when cooked (some say slimy) Heat-loving and vigorous, these attractive plants reach 6 feet or more if trained on a trellis, lamp post, or any vertical structure with some porousness for twining. Great ornamental as well. USDA Organic Pot Size: 4inch Plant Size: 3-8 inches (3inches spring, 5inch + summer, etc) USDA Hardiness: 9b/10-11+ perennial, 9b and lower grown as annual (if in a food forest setting 9b is possible) **Purchase of this plant pays for one tree to be planted in Southern Madagascar to fight desertification and to build food forests in partnership with the Tinone Association. **
