Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Perennial
Origin
Mexico
World, Pandemic, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
-
Number of Varieties
830
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Bluffs, Sandy stream banks, Wooded slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-124-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
10-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
White, Purple, Lavender, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Clay, 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
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
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
Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, 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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
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, Insects
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Liver problems, Skin Disorders, Treatment of ulcers
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
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
Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a spice
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, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
IRIS cristata
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Crested Iris
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
कलगी आइरिस
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Crested Iris
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
Crested Iris
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Crested Iris
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
Crested Iris
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
Crested Iris
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Czubaty Iris
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
iubatum Iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Asparagales
Family
Cactaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Iris
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Opuntieae
Irideae
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
2210
1
27800
👆🏻