Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southern Africa
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Perennial
Not avilable
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 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
Clump-Forming
Weeping
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Green
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
-
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Succulent
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
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 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
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
Itchiness
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
-
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits, Nut
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
Selenicereus pteranthus
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
In Hindi
African Iris
moonlight cactus
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Selenicereus
In French
African Iris
Selenicereus
In Spanish
Iris africano
Selenicereus
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
Selenicereus
In Portuguese
Iris africano
Selenicereus
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Selenicereus
In Latin
African Iris
moonlight cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Dietes
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
Hylocereeae
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Cactoideae
Importance of African Iris and Moonlight cactus
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of African Iris and Moonlight cactus. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare African Iris and Moonlight cactus 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 Moonlight cactus is . African Iris has beauty benefits as follows: while Moonlight cactus has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of African Iris vs Moonlight cactus
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 Moonlight cactus 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 Moonlight cactus have Itchiness respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. African Iris has no showy fruits and Moonlight cactus has showy fruits. Also African Iris is not flowering and Moonlight cactus is flowering. You can compare African Iris and Moonlight cactus facts and facts of other plants too.