Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico
Types
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
58
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12*7
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
2.40 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
24.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
White, Ivory
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
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
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food
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, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BASELLA alba
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
पोई
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Malabarspinat
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
L’épinard de Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
espinaca de Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Malabar Σπανάκι
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Malabar espinafre
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Szpinak Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Spinach Malabar
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Basellaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Basella
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
-
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
602
1
27800
👆🏻