Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Mexico
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Not Available
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Desert
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-12
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
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
Yellow, Magenta
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Not Available
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
Pink, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Not Available
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Not Available
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Not Available
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Not Available
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Not Available
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
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
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Not Available
Attracts
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Not Available
Allergy
Not Available
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Not Available
Edible Uses
Yes
Insignificant
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Not Available
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Biomass for fuel, Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
Blue barrel cactus
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Blau Faßkaktus
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
Bleu barrel cactus
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
biznaga Azul
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
cacto de tambor azul
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
Blue Cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Echinocactus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
Cactaceae
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Barbary Fig and Blue Barrel
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Barbary Fig and Blue Barrel. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Barbary Fig 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 Barbary Fig is Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea and Hangover whereas of Blue Barrel is Not Available. Barbary Fig has beauty benefits as follows: Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises and Remove blemishes while Blue Barrel has beauty benefits as follows: Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises and Remove blemishes.
Compare Facts of Barbary Fig 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 Barbary Fig 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 Barbary Fig are Not Available whereas of Blue Barrel have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Barbary Fig has showy fruits and Blue Barrel has no showy fruits. Also Barbary Fig is not flowering and Blue Barrel is flowering. You can compare Barbary Fig and Blue Barrel facts and facts of other plants too.
