Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Shrub
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Central America, South America
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Fruit Tree
Not avilable
Number of Varieties
210
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
-
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
243.84 cm4.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Red
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Dry, Sandy
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
-
Pruning
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
-
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
-
Plant Tolerance
Wind
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
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
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
-
Allergy
Pollen
Itchiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Fruits, Nut
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Malpighia emarginata
Selenicereus pteranthus
Common Name
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
In Hindi
Acerola Tree
moonlight cactus
In German
Acerola Baum
Selenicereus
In French
Acerola Arbre
Selenicereus
In Spanish
Árbol de acerola
Selenicereus
In Greek
Acerola Δέντρο
Selenicereus
In Portuguese
Árvore acerola
Selenicereus
In Polish
Acerola Drzewo
Selenicereus
In Latin
Acerola ligno
moonlight cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malpighiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Malpighiaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Malpighia
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Hylocereeae
Subfamily
Paperveroideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
-1
1
27800
👆🏻