Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southern Africa
Mexico
Types
Gasteria brachyphylla, Gasteria rawlinsonii
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
168
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Deciduous forests, River side, rocky banks of streams
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-5
Sunset Zone
13, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Rosette/Stemless
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
12.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Coral
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
-
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Tongue shaped
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Stem Planting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Less 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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Fusarium root rot, Red blotch
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat And Humidity
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
Bold
Bold
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Flies
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Irritation to intestines, Skin rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Good for the Scalp
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Blood disorders, Laxative
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Sap
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Shampoo, Oil is used in mosquito repellents
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
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
GASTERIA
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Gasteria
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Gasteria
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Gasteria
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Gasteria
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Gasteria
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Gasteria
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Gasteria
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Gasteria
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Gasteria
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
Monocots
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Aloaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Gasteria
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Asphodeloideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
162
1
27800
👆🏻