Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Flowering Plants
Origin
Caribbean, Central America, Northern America, South America
North America
Types
Grafted Gymnocalycium Cultivars, Echinopsis chamaecereus cultivar, Pilosocereus pachycladus, Austrocylindropuntia subulata monstrose
Helianthus annuus, Heliantheae,
Habitat
Desert
Dry areas, Open areas, Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
3-10
AHS Heat Zone
Not Available
12-1
Sunset Zone
Not Available
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Not Available
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Magenta, Red, White, Yellow
Brown, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Not Available
Black, Chocolate, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green, Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Several shades of Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Several shades of Green
Not Available
Leaf Shape
Globe shaped
Oval
Plant Season
Summer
Summer
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Dry, Light, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
Acidic, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Late Spring, Summer
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Not Available
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Alkaline
Acidic, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Dry, Light, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Bright direct sunlight
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Prune ocassionally, Requires little pruning
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
Alternaria leaf blight, Apical chlorosis, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Botrytis head rot, Charcoal rot, Crown gall, Downy mildew, Erwinia stalk rot, Fusarium stalk rot, Fusarium wilt, head rot, Phialophora yellows, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Not Available
Single
Foliage Texture
Not Available
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Not Available
Matte
Attracts
Birds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Not Available
Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes, Itchy eyes
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Hangover
Pulmonary afflictions
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
As Fertilizers, Economic Purpose, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for producing cooking oil
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edging, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Vegetable
Botanical Name
Cactaceae
Helianths Annuus
Common Name
Cactus
Sunflower
In Hindi
Naagaphanee
Sūrajamukhī
In German
Kaktus
Sonnenblume
In French
Cactus
Tournesol
In Spanish
El Cactus
Girasol
In Greek
κάκτος
ηλιοτρόπιο
In Portuguese
cacto
Girassol
In Polish
kaktus
słonecznik
In Latin
Cactus
Helianthus
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Dicotyledonae
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Asterales
Family
Cactaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Not Available
Heilanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Not Available
Tribe
Not Available
Heliantheae
Subfamily
Cactoideae, Maihueniodeae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae
Helianthodeae
Importance of Cactus and Sunflower
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Cactus and Sunflower. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Cactus and Sunflower 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 Cactus is Diabetes and Hangover whereas of Sunflower is Pulmonary afflictions. Cactus has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Sunflower has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Cactus vs Sunflower
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 Cactus vs Sunflower 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 Cactus are Not Available whereas of Sunflower have Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes and Itchy eyes respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Cactus has no showy fruits and Sunflower has no showy fruits. Also Cactus is flowering and Sunflower is flowering. You can compare Cactus and Sunflower facts and facts of other plants too.