Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
China
Mexico
Types
Ribbon series, Milady aster
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
358
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-98-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
12-5
Sunset Zone
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
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
20.30 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Purple, Pink, Rose, Crimson, Blue Violet
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
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
Shape
Leaf Shape
Arrowhead
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
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 Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Keep ground moist, Never Over-water, Requires a lot of watering, 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
Alternate Days
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loamy, Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Loamy, Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, Well-rotted manure
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
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
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Hanging Basket, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility, Very little waste
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Rheumatism
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, 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
Bedding Plant, Container, Cottage garden, Rock Garden, Showy Tree
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
CALLISTEPHUS chinensis
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
China Aster
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
चीन एस्टर
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
China Aster
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Chine Aster
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
aster de China
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Κίνα Aster
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
China Aster
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Chiny Aster
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Sinis Aster
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Caryophyllales
Family
Asteraceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Callistephus
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Astereae
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Asteroideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
152
1
27800
👆🏻