Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
Not avilable
-
Number of Varieties
103
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-9
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H2, 23, 24
Habit
Weeping
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
4.20 cm1,520.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
White
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Maple shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Itchiness
Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Moisturizing, used as a dye
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Cramps, Dermatitis
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Nut
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Sauces, Used as firewood
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
ALEURITES moluccanus
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
Aleurites moluccanus
In German
Selenicereus
Lichtnussbaum
In French
Selenicereus
Aleurites moluccana
In Spanish
Selenicereus
Aleurites moluccanus
In Greek
Selenicereus
Aleurites moluccanus
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
Nogueira-de-iguape
In Polish
Selenicereus
Nogueira-de-iguape
In Latin
moonlight cactus
Aleurites moluccanus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Euphorbiales
Family
Cactaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Selenicereus
Aleurites
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Hylocereeae
Aleuritideae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Crotonoideae
Number of Species
150
1
27800
👆🏻