Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Flowering Plants
Origin
Mexico
North-Central United States, Central United States, Western United States, Texas
Types
Opuntia ficus-indica
Blue Toadflax, Old-Field Toadflax
Number of Varieties
830
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-123-9
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, 10
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
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
Pink, Light Blue, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Reddish Plum
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Oval to egg shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Cuttings, Divison, 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
Average Water Needs, 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
Clay, Loam
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
use all-purpose fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Foliar disease, Root rot, Spider mites
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
Bumblebees
Allergy
-
Depression, High blood cholestrol, Pain
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
Analgesic, Febrifuge, Stomachic
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Leaves, Root
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 Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
PENSTEMON grandiflorus
Common Name
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
Large Beardtongue, Shell-leaf Penstemon, Wild Snapdragon
In Hindi
Opuntia ficus-indica
Wild Snapdragon
In German
Opuntia ficus-indica
Wilde Snapdragon
In French
Opuntia ficus-indica
Snapdragon sauvage
In Spanish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Salvaje Snapdragon
In Greek
Φραγκοσυκιά
άγρια Snapdragon
In Portuguese
Opuntia ficus-indica
Selvagem Snapdragon
In Polish
Opuntia ficus-indica
Dziki Snapdragon
In Latin
Opuntia ficus-indica
Phlox Ferae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Scrophulariales
Family
Cactaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Opuntia Mill
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Opuntieae
-
Subfamily
Opuntioideae
Scrophularioideae
Number of Species
240
1
27800
👆🏻