In Southeast Asia, it is known as kubay in Ibanag; libatu in Kapampangan; and alugbati in Tagalog and the Visayan languages of the Philippines. It is known as pak plang (ผักปลัง) in Thai; mồng tơi in Vietnamese andVor Chunlung ( វល្លិ៍ជន្លង់ ) in Khmer .

In East Asia, it is known as 潺菜, 木耳菜, 落葵，皇宮菜 or 蚕菜, being saan choy, xan choy, shan tsoi, luo kai, shu chieh, and lo kwai in some of readings of Cantonese; and tsurumurasaki (つるむらさき) in Japanese.

This stable food is popular in SE Asian countries such as Vietnam, Philippine, Thailand, Singapore & Malaysia. This glossy waxy leafy veggie tastes great when stir fried with a touch of minced garlic. Can also used as hotpot 火鍋veggies.  Malabar Spinach is very rich in vitamin A & C, also a good source for B-6, magnesium, calcium & iron.

Malabar Spinach vines & glossy leaves are very ornamental, hence a good addition to the edible landscape.  In Zones 9 & 10, these Malabar Spinach vines can survive mild winters and can be grown as perennials.

Best cultivation method is to sow seeds indoor or in coldframe or greenhouse, at least 5 weeks before the last frost. The seeds may take 1 to 3 weeks to germinate in ideal temperature of 65F-75F.  Transplant them in mid to late spring when seedlings are at least 2” tall or with half dozen leaves. You can plant individual seedlings in well worked soil 12” apart. Do note the seedlings could get stunned & don’t grow well if outdoor overnight temperature is below 40F, so don’t transplant too early!

Malabar spinach vines loves the heat & the humidity, so full sun is preferred and adequate moisture is a must. Trellis support is highly recommended for maximum aerial coverage/sun exposure. Alternatively, arbor, chain link fence or cattle panels are also suitable to support climbing vines. Also, Malabar spinach vines, leaves and flowers are considered ornamental, a must have on an edible landscape. You can harvest just the leaves, or cut off the tender stems (also good eating) to promote new shoots growth.

You can also try the three-sister gardening technique for efficient space use; our favorite trio combo is waxy corn (vertical), malabar spinach (aerial) and Japanese purple yam (ground cover and root crop).

Malabar spinach vines also do quite well in container gardening, good for folks with only balcony or rooftop access. Container size 3-gal or larger is preferred. Besides usual garden planter boxes, DIY'ers can use 5-gal food grade buckets, plastic tote containers or halved whisky barrels. Do drill some holes near the bottom to drain excess water. Use tomato cages to support climbing vines; and tie some ropes to nearby structures; then watch the vines march every which way an inch or two per day. If you are lucky enough to have containers 20-gal or larger, try three-sister technique; say dwarf blue jade sweet corn, thai basil, Asian yam & malabar spinach. Would love to hear your gardening joys this autumn.