Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mexico
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Opuntia ficus-indica
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8
8-12
Sunset Zone
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 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
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Globe shaped
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
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
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Maus Melone
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Mousemelon
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
melão rato
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
mysz melona
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
mouse melon
Opuntia ficus-indica
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Opuntioideae
Importance of Mouse Melon and Barbary Fig
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Mouse Melon and Barbary Fig. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Mouse Melon and Barbary Fig 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 Mouse Melon is Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation and Rich in Iron whereas of Barbary Fig is Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea and Hangover. Mouse Melon has beauty benefits as follows: while Barbary Fig has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Mouse Melon vs Barbary Fig
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 Mouse Melon vs Barbary Fig 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 Mouse Melon are Throat itching and Vomiting whereas of Barbary Fig have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Mouse Melon has showy fruits and Barbary Fig has showy fruits. Also Mouse Melon is not flowering and Barbary Fig is not flowering . You can compare Mouse Melon and Barbary Fig facts and facts of other plants too.