Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Cactus or Succulent
  
Vegetable
  
Origin
Mexico
  
Southeastern Asia, India
  
Types
Not Available
  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
  
Habitat
Desert
  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-12
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
  
12*7
  
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
H1, H2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Upright/Erect
  
Vining/Climbing
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
  
Red, Green, Orange Red
  
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
  
White, Ivory
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
  
Green, Light Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
  
Purple, Gray Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
  
Heart-shaped
  
Thorns
Yes
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Growth Rate
Medium
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
  
Clay, Loam
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
  
Ground
  
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
  
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Average Water
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Neutral
  
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
  
Clay, Loam
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
  
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Nitrogen
  
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
  
Aphids
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
Yes
  
Edible Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Bold
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
Yes
  
Invasive
Sometimes
  
Sometimes
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
  
Beauty Benefits
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
  
Leaves
  
Other Uses
Biomass for fuel, Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
  
Used As Food
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
  
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
  
BASELLA alba
  
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
  
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
  
पोई
  
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
  
Malabarspinat
  
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
  
L’épinard de Malabar
  
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
  
espinaca de Malabar
  
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
  
Malabar Σπανάκι
  
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
  
Malabar espinafre
  
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
  
Szpinak Malabar
  
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
  
Spinach Malabar
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Eudicotyledones
  
Order
Caryophyllales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Cactaceae
  
Basellaceae
  
Genus
Opuntia Mill
  
Basella
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Opuntieae
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Season and Care of Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach
Season and care of Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Barbary Fig season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Barbary Fig is Loamy, Sandy, Well drained and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Barbary Fig is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.
Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach Physical Information
Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Barbary Fig height is 240.00 cm and width 180.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach are as follows:
Barbary Fig flower color: Yellow, Red and Orange
Barbary Fig leaf color: Green
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
- Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Care of Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach
Care of Barbary Fig and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Barbary Fig pruning is done Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally and Remove dead leaves and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Barbary Fig needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water.