Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
Mexico
Types
Summer Squash, Winter Squash
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
18
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-5
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
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Orange, Dark Green, Ivory
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Lemon yellow
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Arrowhead
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
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
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
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
Ample Water
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Fungal 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
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Skin irritation, Skin rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for birds, Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, Bone strength, Fiber, Indigestion, Nutrients, Weight loss
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Delicata'
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Peanut Squash, Squash
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
देलिकाता स्क्वाश
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Delicata Squash
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Delicata Squash
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Delicata Squash
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Delicata Σκουός
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Delicata Squash
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Delicata Squash
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
delicata Cucurbitae
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
1002
1
27800
👆🏻