Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southern Africa
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Perennial
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10
12-15
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Yellow, Magenta
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Pink, Red
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
-
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, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Needs good drainage, Needs very little water, Water carefully
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Edible Uses
No
Insignificant
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Part of Plant Used
Root
Flowers
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
In Hindi
African Iris
Blue barrel cactus
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Blau Faßkaktus
In French
African Iris
Bleu barrel cactus
In Spanish
Iris africano
biznaga Azul
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
In Portuguese
Iris africano
cacto de tambor azul
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
In Latin
African Iris
Blue Cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Dietes
Echinocactus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Cactaceae
Importance of African Iris and Blue Barrel
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of African Iris and Blue Barrel. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare African Iris and Blue Barrel as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of African Iris is whereas of Blue Barrel is . African Iris has beauty benefits as follows: while Blue Barrel has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of African Iris vs Blue Barrel
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of African Iris vs Blue Barrel and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of African Iris are Skin irritation whereas of Blue Barrel have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. African Iris has no showy fruits and Blue Barrel has no showy fruits. Also African Iris is not flowering and Blue Barrel is flowering. You can compare African Iris and Blue Barrel facts and facts of other plants too.