Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Shrubs, Spurge
Origin
Mexico
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Madagascar, South Africa
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
Jatropha bullockii, Jatropha cinerea, Jatropha excisa
Habitat
Desert
Pastures, Roadsides, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-12
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
Light Green, Lime Green, Yellow, Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Palmately Lobed
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
All year
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight, Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Dry, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
All year
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
Needs less watering, Water occasionally
In Summer
Lots of watering
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight, Full Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Anthracnose, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Drought and Salt, Heat Tolerance
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Bold
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Attracts
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Bees, Flying insects, Hoverflies
Allergy
-
allergic conjunctivitis, Eye irritation
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Good for skin and hair, Removes pimples, Skin inflammation, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
Yes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Insect Repellent, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Suppresses or replaces native plants, Versatility
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
anti-allergy, epilepsy, Fever, Skin irritation, Skin Redness
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves, Sap, Seeds, Stem
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
Oil is used as fuel, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used in biomass
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, Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
JATROPHA
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Barbados nut, purging nut, physic nut, or JCL
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
रतनजोत
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Purgiernuß
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
purghère
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
frailejón
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
jatropha
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
galamaluco
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
jatrofa
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
Jatropha
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Euphorbiales
Family
Cactaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Jatropha
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Dicotyledonous
Tribe
Opuntieae
Jatropheae
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
Crotonoideae
Importance of Barbary Fig and Jatropha
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Barbary Fig and Jatropha. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Barbary Fig and Jatropha 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 Jatropha is anti-allergy, epilepsy, Fever, Skin irritation and Skin Redness. Barbary Fig has beauty benefits as follows: Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises and Remove blemishes while Jatropha has beauty benefits as follows: Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises and Remove blemishes.
Compare Facts of Barbary Fig vs Jatropha
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 Jatropha 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 whereas of Jatropha have allergic conjunctivitis and Eye irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Barbary Fig has showy fruits and Jatropha has showy fruits. Also Barbary Fig is not flowering and Jatropha is not flowering . You can compare Barbary Fig and Jatropha facts and facts of other plants too.