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About Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach


About Malabar Spinach and Barrel Cactus


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Cactus or Succulent  
Vegetable  

Origin
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
Astrophytum ornatum, Echinocactus grusonii, Echinocactus grusonii  
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach  

Number of Varieties
6  
5  

Habitat
Desert  
Hot climate regions, Humid climates  

USDA Hardiness Zone
12-15  
-9999  

AHS Heat Zone
12-10  
12*7  

Sunset Zone
12, 13, 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
Oval or Rounded  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
90.00 cm  
99+
2.40 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
15.20 cm  
99+
24.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange  
Red, Green, Orange Red  

Flower Color Modifier
-  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Lemon yellow  
White, Ivory  

Leaf Color in Spring
-  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
-  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
-  
Purple, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
-  
Purple, Gray Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Succulent  
Heart-shaped  

Thorns
Yes  
No  

Season

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
Slow  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer  
-  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Do not water frequently  
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
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  

Pruning
-  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
Nitrogen  

Pests and Diseases
Red blotch  
Aphids  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

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
No  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
-  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
No  
Yes  

Attracts
-  
-  

Allergy
-  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
-  
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C  

Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves  
Leaves  

Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant  
Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall  
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
FEROCACTUS  
BASELLA alba  

Common Name
barrel cactus  
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach  

In Hindi
barrel cactus  
पोई  

In German
Fass-Kaktus-  
Malabarspinat  

In French
Barrel cactus  
L’épinard de Malabar  

In Spanish
biznaga  
espinaca de Malabar  

In Greek
βαρέλι κάκτος  
Malabar Σπανάκι  

In Portuguese
Barrel cactus  
Malabar espinafre  

In Polish
cactus Barrel  
Szpinak Malabar  

In Latin
cactus  
Spinach Malabar  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Eudicotyledones  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Caryophyllales  

Family
Cactaceae  
Basellaceae  

Genus
Ferocactus  
Basella  

Clade
-  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
10  
99+
60  

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach

Wondering what are the properties of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach? We provide you with everything About Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach. Barrel Cactus has thorns and Malabar Spinach doesn't have thorns. Also Barrel Cactus does not have fragrant flowers. Barrel Cactus has allergic reactions like and Malabar Spinach has allergic reactions like . Compare all the properties and characteristics of these two plants. Find out which of these plant can be used as indoor plant. If you are interested to decorate your house and garden, find out aesthetic uses, compare them and select the plant which will beautify your surrounding. Along with beautification, try comparing medicinal and edible uses of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

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Season and Care of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach

Season and care of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach is important to know. While considering everything about Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach Care, growing season is an essential factor. Barrel Cactus season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Barrel Cactus is Loam, Sand and for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam while the PH of soil for Barrel Cactus is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Malabar Spinach is Neutral.

Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach Physical Information

Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Barrel Cactus height is 90.00 cm and width 15.20 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach are as follows:

Care of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach

Care of Barrel Cactus and Malabar Spinach include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Barrel Cactus pruning is done and Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Barrel Cactus 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.

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