Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Flowering Plants
Origin
Mexico
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
-
Number of Varieties
840
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-124-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
9-1
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, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
Crimson
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
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
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
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
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
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
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
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Whole plant
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kracher penstemon
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Cactaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Opuntieae
-
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
-
Number of Species
2250
1
27800
👆🏻