Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Australia
Mexico
Types
Narrowleaf Bottle Tree, Pink Flame Tree, Rusty Kurrajong
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
308
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Subtropical forests
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-118-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2,743.20 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,500.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson, Orange Red
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Sienna, Chocolate
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lobed
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
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, Pollution
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
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
allergic reaction, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Root, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
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
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BRACHYCHITON rupestris
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Australian Flame Tree, Flame Bottle Tree, Illawarra Flame Tree
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
बोतल ट्री
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Flaschenbaum
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Bouteille Arbre
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Árbol de la botella
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Μπουκάλι Δέντρο
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Bottle Tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Butelka Drzewo
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Utrem ligno
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Caryophyllales
Family
Sterculiaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
brachychiton
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Sterculieae
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Sterculioideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
302
1
27800
👆🏻