Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
North America, United States, Northwestern United States, Alaska, California, Canada
Habitat
Desert
Lowland evergreen rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999
4-7
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Yellow, Red, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Ovate
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Sand
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
Early Spring
Tolerances
Drought
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Average
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Flowers
Yes
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
-
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin Problems
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree
Medicinal Uses
-
Anodyne, Appetizer, Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Nut
Flowers, Inner Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used as a dye, used for making charcoal, Used for making informal hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
ALNUS rubra
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
Oregon Alder, Red Alder
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
red alder
In German
Selenicereus
rot-Erle
In French
Selenicereus
aulne rouge
In Spanish
Selenicereus
aliso rojo
In Greek
Selenicereus
κόκκινη σκλήθρα
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
amieiro vermelho
In Polish
Selenicereus
czerwony olcha
In Latin
moonlight cactus
red alnus
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Fagales
Family
Cactaceae
Betulaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Importance of Moonlight cactus and Red Alder
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Moonlight cactus and Red Alder. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Moonlight cactus and Red Alder 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 Red Alder is Anodyne, Appetizer and Astringent. Moonlight cactus has beauty benefits as follows: while Red Alder has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Moonlight cactus vs Red Alder
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 Red Alder 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 Red Alder have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Moonlight cactus has showy fruits and Red Alder has showy fruits. Also Moonlight cactus is flowering and Red Alder is not flowering . You can compare Moonlight cactus and Red Alder facts and facts of other plants too.