Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
World, Pandemic, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Mexico
Types
-
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
308
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bluffs, Sandy stream banks, Wooded slopes
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-108-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple, Lavender, Blue Violet
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Insects
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Liver problems, Skin Disorders, Treatment of ulcers
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a spice
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 Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
IRIS cristata
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Crested Iris
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
कलगी आइरिस
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Crested Iris
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Crested Iris
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Crested Iris
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Crested Iris
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Crested Iris
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Czubaty Iris
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
iubatum Iris
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Iris
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
2102
1
27800
👆🏻