Life Span
Perennial
Annual, biennial or perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Perennial
Origin
Mexico
Southern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean, Turkey, Northern Africa
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
Matthiola incana
Number of Varieties
820
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
By seashore, Rocky areas, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-126-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm35.60 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
Purple, Pink, Rose, Coral, Peach, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
-
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
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Oblanceolate , Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
Do Not over Water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
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
Fungal Diseases, Slugs
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Bees, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Antidote, Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves, Seedpod
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 a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
MATTHIOLA incana
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Stock, Tenweeks stock, Gillyflower, Brompton Stock
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
Common stock
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Garten-Levkoje
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
Common stock
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Matthiola incana
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
Common stock
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
Matthiola incana
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Common stock
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
Matthiola incana
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Capparales
Family
Cactaceae
Brassicaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Matthiola
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Opuntieae
-
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
-
Number of Species
250
1
27800
👆🏻