Description
Ceylon Pasalai Keerai — Water Leaf
A tender, succulent leafy green you can grow right at home — fast to root, generous to harvest, and packed with everyday nourishment. Sent to you as a healthy live plant or ready-to-root stem cutting, raised 100% poison-free on our farm in Karur.
A succulent green that practically grows itself
Ceylon Pasalai Keerai — known worldwide as Water Leaf or Ceylon Spinach (Talinum fruticosum) — is a tender, succulent green from the purslane family. It grows as an erect perennial herb with fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves and dainty pink star-flowers, and earns its “water leaf” name honestly: its leaves hold close to 90% moisture.
Though now grown across tropical India, the green travelled here from Sri Lanka — which is how it earned the “Ceylon” name still used in Tamil Nadu kitchens. Its leaves carry a pleasant, mild, slightly sour note that softens beautifully in cooking, making it a versatile base for sambar, kuzhambu, poriyal, dal, soups and quick stir-fries. Best of all, a single plant keeps giving — harvest after harvest.
Nutrient-dense, yet remarkably light
A 100 g serving carries just about 20 calories while delivering fibre, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and iron — a lot of nourishment for very little.
🩸Iron for vitality
An excellent dietary source of iron, valued for supporting those prone to iron-deficiency anaemia.
🛡️Antioxidant-rich
Vitamins A, C and E act as potent antioxidants that help protect the body from harmful free radicals.
🦴Strong bones
A good source of calcium and phosphorus — two minerals that work together to support bone strength.
🌾Easy digestion
Abundant dietary fibre promotes healthy digestion, helps prevent constipation and supports gut health.
👁️Eye & immune support
High vitamin A supports eye health, while vitamin C helps strengthen the body’s defences against infection.
❤️Heart-friendly
Low in calories and high in soluble fibre — traditionally valued for helping manage cholesterol.
A healing green across continents
Across traditional systems in Asia, Africa and South America, Water Leaf has long been used as a restorative green — believed to carry anti-inflammatory, diuretic and antioxidant properties. Its swollen roots are even known in herbal circles as “Java Ginseng” or “Leaf Ginseng.” Phytochemical studies report a wealth of bioactive compounds:
From cutting to harvest in four simple steps
One of the joys of Ceylon Pasalai Keerai is how generously it grows. Plant a cutting, give it sun and water, and it rewards you for up to a year.
Root the cutting
Place a succulent stem in water or directly into soil — it roots readily within about a week.
Plant in good soil
Set into well-draining sandy or loamy soil in full sun to part shade. It even tolerates poorer soil and short dry spells.
Water & let it flush
Keep lightly moist. It grows fast, producing fleshy leaves and pink flowers that self-seed freely.
Harvest & repeat
Snip leaves and tender stems from day 35–45, early morning. Cut back older plants to make them sprout again.
Grown in living soil, the way it should be
From our farm in the foothills of Karur, Tamil Nadu, we’ve grown and shipped 100% poison-free food and plants directly from our family farm to yours since 2015 — no middlemen, packed by the farmer himself.
