Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southern Africa
Types
Not avilable
Perennial
Number of Varieties
1050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
10-8
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
Weeping
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm61.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
4.20 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Average
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Nematodes, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Itchiness
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Nut
Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
DIETES bicolor
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
African iris, Fortnight lily
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
African Iris
In German
Selenicereus
Afrikanische Iris
In French
Selenicereus
African Iris
In Spanish
Selenicereus
Iris africano
In Greek
Selenicereus
Αφρικανική Iris
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
Iris africano
In Polish
Selenicereus
Afryki Iris
In Latin
moonlight cactus
African Iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Asparagales
Family
Cactaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Selenicereus
Dietes
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Hylocereeae
Irideae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
1300
1
27800
👆🏻