Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, Australia
Mexico
Types
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
58
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Warm and moist climatic conditions
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-158-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Light Pink, Ivory
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Plum
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Get enough water whenever the soil is dry
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
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hummingbirds
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibiotic, Cough, Headache, hemorrhoids, Respiratory Disorders, Rheumatism
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Flowers, Leaves, Wood
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as essential oil
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MELALEUCA quinquenervia
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Cajeput Tree, Paperbark Tree, Punk Tree
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Paperbark tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Paperbark tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Paperbark tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Paperbark tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Paperbark tree
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Paperbark tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Paperbark tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Paperbark tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Caryophyllales
Family
Myrtaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Melaleuca
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
-
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
132
1
27800
👆🏻