Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Herbs, Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
South-Eastern Asia
Habitat
Desert
Semi desert, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
9-11
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Weeping
Clump-Forming
Minimum Width
4.20 cm
20.00 cm
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
White
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Elliptic
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs, Needs good drainage
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Average
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Cut away fading foliage, Cut upper 1/3 section when young to enhancegrowth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Don't use high pH fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Downy mildew, Dry root rot, Rust, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Attracts
-
Aphids, Bees, Butterflies, Snails
Allergy
Itchiness
Dizziness, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good Cleanser, Good for the Scalp
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
-
Antipyretic, Bronchitis, Cough, Digestive disorders, Ear infections, Expectorant, Laxative, Migraines, Piles, Rheumatism, Throat infection, Treating fever
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Nut
Bark, Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Biomass for fuel, Can be made into a herbal tea, Culinary use, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Used as a laxative
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
Justicia adhatoda
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
Malabar nut, Adulsa, Adhatoda, Vasaka
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
अडुळसा, अडुसा
In German
Selenicereus
Indisches Lungenkraut
In French
Selenicereus
Justicia adhatoda
In Spanish
Selenicereus
Justicia adhatoda
In Greek
Selenicereus
Justicia adhatoda
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
Justicia adhatoda
In Polish
Selenicereus
Justicia adhatoda
In Latin
moonlight cactus
Justicia adhatoda
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Scrophulariales
Family
Cactaceae
Acanthaceae
Genus
Selenicereus
Justicia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Hylocereeae
Justicieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Acanthoideae
Importance of Moonlight cactus and Malabar nut
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Moonlight cactus and Malabar nut. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Moonlight cactus and Malabar nut as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Moonlight cactus is whereas of Malabar nut is Antipyretic, Bronchitis, Cough, Digestive disorders, Ear infections, Expectorant, Laxative, Migraines, Piles, Rheumatism, Throat infection and Treating fever. Moonlight cactus has beauty benefits as follows: while Malabar nut has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Moonlight cactus vs Malabar nut
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Moonlight cactus vs Malabar nut and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Moonlight cactus are Itchiness whereas of Malabar nut have Dizziness, Mouth itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Moonlight cactus has showy fruits and Malabar nut has no showy fruits. Also Moonlight cactus is flowering and Malabar nut is not flowering . You can compare Moonlight cactus and Malabar nut facts and facts of other plants too.