Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Europe, Asia
Mexico
Types
Winged flax, Bristle flax, Fairy flax
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
48
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-88-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-7
12-5
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.72 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.72 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue, Sky Blue
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Tan
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Narrow
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, 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
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Midseason Pruning, Prune in fall, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
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
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Flies
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Cyanide poisoning
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antirheumatic, Carminative, Emollient, Ophthalmic, Poultice, Stomachic
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Fibre, For making oil, Used in paper industry
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
Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
LINUM perenne
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Perennial Flax, Blue flax, Alpine flax
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Blue Flax Plant
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Blaue Flachspflanze
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Bleu lin Plante
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Planta de lino azul
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Μπλε Λίνο Φυτών
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Planta do linho azul
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Niebieski roślin lnu
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Blue linum Planta
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Linales
Caryophyllales
Family
Linaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Linum
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
-
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
1802
1
27800
👆🏻