Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Opuntia ficus-indica
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
8-12
Sunset Zone
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
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Globe shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
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
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
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
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
पोई
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Malabarspinat
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Season and Care of Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig
Season and care of Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig is important to know. While considering everything about Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig Care, growing season is an essential factor. Malabar Spinach season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Barbary Fig season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Malabar Spinach is Clay, Loam and for Barbary Fig is Loamy, Sandy, Well drained while the PH of soil for Malabar Spinach is Neutral and for Barbary Fig is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline.
Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig Physical Information
Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig physical information is very important for comparison. Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm whereas Barbary Fig height is 240.00 cm and width 180.00 cm. The color specification of Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig are as follows:
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green
Barbary Fig flower color: Yellow, Red and Orange
- Barbary Fig leaf color: Green
Care of Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig
Care of Malabar Spinach and Barbary Fig include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves and Barbary Fig pruning is done Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally and Remove dead leaves. In summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Barbary Fig needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.