Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
-
Mexico
Types
Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
68
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical Forests
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
13-158-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-5
Sunset Zone
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
-
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
-
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cylindrical
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Medium
Type of Soil
-
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Needs very little water
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
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
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
Flower Petal Number
-
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
-
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, 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
Soothing and relieving pain
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
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
-
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
Schlumbergera truncata
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Schlumbergera, false Christmas cactus, Christmas cactus
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Schlumbergera
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Schlumbergera
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Schlumbergera
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Schlumbergera
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Schlumbergera
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Schlumbergera
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Schlumbergera
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Gymnocalycium
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Schlumbergera
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Rhipsalideae
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
62
1
27800
👆🏻