Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Caribbean, South America
Mexico
Types
-
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
108
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Primary Rainforest, Riverbanks, subtropical regions, Tropical regions
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-158-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
850.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
40.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Light Green, Ivory
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Ivory
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Circular and deeply palmately-lobed
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
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
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
-
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Fruit Bats
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antidiabetic, Asthma
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Latex, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used in making tea, Used in pies, cakes
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
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
CECROPIA palmata
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Snakewood Tree
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Snakewood Tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Schlangenholz -Baum
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Amourette Arbre
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Árbol de madera de serpiente
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Snakewood Tree
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Snakewood Tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Snakewood Tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Snakewood Tree
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledoneae
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rosales
Caryophyllales
Family
Urticaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Cecropia
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
-
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
612
1
27800
👆🏻