Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
Not avilable
-
Number of Varieties
102
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-10
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Weeping
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
4.20 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
-
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Average
Sun Exposure
-
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilizer every month during spring, Requires high amount of nitrogen, since leafy plants, use higher nitrogen content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Earwigs, fungus, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red blotch, Root rot, Scale, Thripes
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Itchiness
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antirheumatic, Appetite enhancer, Asthma, Bronchitis, Cold, Headache, Laxative, Muscle Pain, Sore throat, Sweat bullets, Tonsillitis
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Nut
Flowers, Root bark
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Culinary use, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
ALPINIA purpurata
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
Jungle Queen, Red Ginger
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
लाल अदरक
In German
Selenicereus
Red Ginger
In French
Selenicereus
Red Ginger
In Spanish
Selenicereus
Red Ginger
In Greek
Selenicereus
Red Ginger
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
Red Ginger
In Polish
Selenicereus
Red Ginger
In Latin
moonlight cactus
Gingiberi Rubrum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Zingiberales
Family
Cactaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Selenicereus
Alpinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Hylocereeae
Alpinieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
150
1
27800
👆🏻