Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, South America, Brazil
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Peanut cactus
-
Number of Varieties
128-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Sandy areas, Semi desert
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-155-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Rose
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Cut out old flower stalks, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, fertilize in summer, Potassium
Nitrogen, N-P-K balanced liquid fertilizer, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Scale
Army-worms, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Skin cuts
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Moisturizing, Nourishes scalp
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility, Very little waste
Food for animals
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Heals minor burns, Heart problems, High blood pressure, Wounds
Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Laxative, Leprosy, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
ECHINOPSIS
Trichosanthes cucumerina
Common Name
Hedgehog Cactus, Sea urchin cactus
snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichinda, padwal
In Hindi
हाथी कैक्टस
चिचिण्डा
In German
Igel Kaktus
Schlangenhaargurke
In French
hérisson cactus
Trichosanthes cucumerina
In Spanish
cactus de erizo
snake gourd
In Greek
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
φίδι κολοκύθα
In Portuguese
hedgehog cactus
snake gourd
In Polish
jeż kaktus
Gurdlina ogórkowata
In Latin
cactus
snake gourd
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Echinopsis
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Trichocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
200027
1
27800
👆🏻