Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Mexico
Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
Drakensberg sugarbush, Clanwilliam sugarbush, The Wagon tree
Number of Varieties
81600
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-1210-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm91.44 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm91.44 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
-
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
-
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Clay
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
All year
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
Requires a lot of watering
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Pinch Tips, Remove branches, 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
-
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
-
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Flying insects, Insects
Allergy
-
-
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
Cough, Diarrhea, Stomach Ulcers
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 for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
PROTEA
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Protea, Waboom, Wagon Tree
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
Protea plant
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Protea Pflanze
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
usine de Protea
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
planta de protea
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
φυτό Protea
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
planta Protea
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Protea roślin
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
Protea herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Proteales
Family
Cactaceae
Proteaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Protea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Opuntieae
Proteae
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
Proteoideae
Number of Species
21600
1
27800
👆🏻