Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico
Central America, Mexico
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
83
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-127-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Minimum Height
240.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
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 Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
Mousemelon
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Maus Melone
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Mousemelon
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
melão rato
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
mysz melona
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Opuntieae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
250
1
27800
👆🏻