Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Mexico
Types
Starfruit
Opuntia ficus-indica
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-14
8-12
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Pink, Rose, Violet
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Globe shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Frost
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
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 pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize every year
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
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
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
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
AVERRHOA carambola
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Carambola, Starfruit
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
carambola पेड़
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Sternfrucht Baum
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
arbre carambole
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
árbol de carambola
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
carambola δέντρο
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
árvore de carambola
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
karambola drzewo
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
carambola ligno
Opuntia ficus-indica
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Caryophyllales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Importance of Carambola and Barbary Fig
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Carambola and Barbary Fig. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Carambola and Barbary Fig 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 Carambola is Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure and Nutrients whereas of Barbary Fig is Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea and Hangover. Carambola has beauty benefits as follows: while Barbary Fig has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Carambola vs Barbary Fig
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 Carambola vs Barbary Fig 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 Carambola are Kidney Stone whereas of Barbary Fig have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Carambola has showy fruits and Barbary Fig has showy fruits. Also Carambola is not flowering and Barbary Fig is not flowering . You can compare Carambola and Barbary Fig facts and facts of other plants too.