Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States
Mexico
Types
-
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
258
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas, Slopes
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-88-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Mat-forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Blue, Purple, Pink
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
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
Needle like
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Stem Cutting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs more water during establishment, 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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Prune in summer
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
General garden fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Caterpillars, Crown rot, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Leafminers, Nematodes, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Rust, Southern blight, Yellow Leaves
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
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
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
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
Cutflower, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
Phlox subulata
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Creeping Phlox
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
जीव एक प्रकार का पौधा
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
kriechend Phlox
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
phlox rampant
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
rastrero phlox
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
υφέρπουσα phlox
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
rastejar phlox
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
pełzanie floks
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Phlox serpentium
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Caryophyllales
Family
Polemoniaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Phlox
Opuntia Mill
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
-
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
672
1
27800
👆🏻