Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Habitat
Desert
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-12
-9999
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
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
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
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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 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
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
-
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
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
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
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.