Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southwestern United States
Mexico
Types
Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia emersleyi
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
58
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sandy areas
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-118-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-5
Sunset Zone
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
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
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, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in spring
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, Heat Tolerance
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
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Deers, Insects
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Nesting sites for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Sore throat
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, 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
Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MUHLENBERGIA rigens
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Deer Grass
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
हिरण घास
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Deer Grass
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
cerfs Herbe
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Ciervo Hierba
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
ελάφια Grass
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
cervos grama
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Deer Trawa
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
deer Grass
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Caryophyllales
Family
Poaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Muhlenbergia
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Chloridoideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
402
1
27800
👆🏻