Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Ornamental Plants, Shrubs
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Eastern Europe, Western Asia
Mexico
Types
Kochia Indica, Neokochia californica
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
1408
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Temperate Regions
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-118-12
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
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Gray Green, Burgundy, Crimson
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Stem Cutting, Transplanting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established, Requires consistently moist soil
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Loamy, Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Bright direct sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Remove dead branches
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Mosquito
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
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
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Eye irritation, Respiratory problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Making cosmetics, Removes dandruff, Skin cleanser
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Provides ground cover
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Hypotensive, Obesity
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Sauces, Traditional medicine, Used for fragrance, Wood log is used in making fences
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
Groundcover
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASSIA scoparia
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Burningbush, Kochia
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Bassia scoparia
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Besen-Radmelde
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Bassia scoparia
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Kochia scoparia
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Bassia scoparia
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Bassia scoparia
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Mietelnik żakula
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Bassia scoparia
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Bassia
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Camphorosmoideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
42
1
27800
👆🏻