Life Span
Annual
  
Perennial
  
Type
Vegetable
  
Cactus or Succulent
  
Origin
Europe
  
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
  
Types
Not Available
  
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
agricultural areas, Moist Soils
  
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-10
  
12-15
  
AHS Heat Zone
9-3
  
12-10
  
Sunset Zone
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
  
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Upright/Erect
  
Oval or Rounded
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Yellow
  
Yellow, Magenta
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Not Available
  
Fruit Color
Sienna, Black
  
Pink, Red
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Summer
White, Green, Dark Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Fall
White, Green, Dark Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Winter
White, Green, Dark Green
  
Not Available
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Oval
  
Not Available
  
Thorns
No
  
Yes
  
Plant Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Growth Rate
Fast
  
Slow
  
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
  
Loam, Sand
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
  
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
No
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings
  
Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Do not water the foliage, Keep the Soil well drained
  
Needs good drainage, Needs very little water, Water carefully
  
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
  
Loam, Sand
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Pruning
Remove dead or diseased plant parts
  
No pruning needed
  
Fertilizers
8-8-8, since leafy plants, use higher nitrogen content fertilizer
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Beetles, Cabbage looper, Downy mildew, Fusarium leaf spot, Rust
  
Red blotch
  
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Humidity, Shallow soil
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Yes
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Bold
  
Foliage Sheen
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
Sometimes
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
No
  
Attracts
Caterpillar, Mites
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Diarrhea, Dizziness, Nausea
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Not Available
  
Showy Purposes
  
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Hair Conditioner, Skin cleanser
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Insignificant
  
Environmental Uses
Fixes Nitrogen, Food for animals
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Anti-oxidant, Digestion problems, Eliminate toxins, Nutritive, Obesity, Rich in Potassium
  
Not Available
  
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
  
Flowers
  
Other Uses
Culinary use, Sauces, Used to promote healthy blood flow during menstruation
  
Used as Ornamental plant
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Wildflower
  
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
  
Botanical Name
BRASSICA rapa( Chinensis Group)
  
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
  
Common Name
Bok Choy, Chinese Cabbage, Choy Sum, Pak Choi
  
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
  
In Hindi
choy sum
  
Blue barrel cactus
  
In German
choy sum
  
Blau Faßkaktus
  
In French
choy sum
  
Bleu barrel cactus
  
In Spanish
choy sum
  
biznaga Azul
  
In Greek
choy sum
  
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
  
In Portuguese
choy sum
  
cacto de tambor azul
  
In Polish
choy sum
  
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
  
In Latin
choy sum
  
Blue Cactus
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Capparales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Brassicaceae
  
Cactaceae
  
Genus
Brassica
  
Echinocactus
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Cacteae
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Cactaceae
  
Importance of Choy Sum and Blue Barrel
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Choy Sum and Blue Barrel. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Choy Sum and Blue Barrel 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 Choy Sum is Aging, Anti-oxidant, Digestion problems, Eliminate toxins, Nutritive, Obesity and Rich in Potassium whereas of Blue Barrel is Not Available. Choy Sum has beauty benefits as follows: Anti-ageing, Hair Conditioner and Skin cleanser while Blue Barrel has beauty benefits as follows: Anti-ageing, Hair Conditioner and Skin cleanser.
Compare Facts of Choy Sum vs Blue Barrel
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 Choy Sum vs Blue Barrel 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 Choy Sum are Diarrhea, Dizziness and Nausea whereas of Blue Barrel have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Choy Sum has no showy fruits and Blue Barrel has no showy fruits. Also Choy Sum is not flowering and Blue Barrel is flowering. You can compare Choy Sum and Blue Barrel facts and facts of other plants too.