Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Not avilable
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Number of Varieties
1020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-5
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Weeping
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
4.20 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires plenty of water during 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
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Average
Sun Exposure
-
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
-
-
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
Itchiness
Rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Nut
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
Shell Ginger
In German
Selenicereus
Shell Ginger
In French
Selenicereus
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
Selenicereus
Shell jengibre
In Greek
Selenicereus
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
Shell Ginger
In Polish
Selenicereus
Shell Imbir
In Latin
moonlight cactus
Crusta Ginger
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Zingiberales
Family
Cactaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Selenicereus
Alpinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Hylocereeae
Alpinieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
1150
1
27800
👆🏻