Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
South Asia, Southeast Asia
Mexico
Types
-
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
58
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-108-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-5
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 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
Spreading
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
800.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
600.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Lemon yellow, Yellow
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
All year
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Rich
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Full Sun
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
High
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Reduce watering once fruit are growing, Water daily during 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
Soil pH
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Rich
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove dead branches
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize in early to mid-summer, for fruiting plants, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Citrus foot rot, Citrus gummosis, Citrus leaf miner, Red blotch
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Double, Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Anaphylaxis, Cough, Nausea, Rhinitis, Stomach pain, Swelling, Urticaria, Vomiting, wheezing
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland, Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Good for skin, Good for the Scalp, Improve skin tone, Moisturizing, Strong, beautiful hair
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Very little waste
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, constipation, Digestive, Gastrointestinal disorders, Gout, Immunity, Jaundice, Respiratory Disorders, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcers, Urinary problems, Weight loss
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Used as a flavouring in food, Used As Food, 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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit Tree, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
Citrus limetta
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
sweet lime, sweet lemon, sweet limetta
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
मौसम्बी
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
süße Limone
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Citrus limetta
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
limetta dulce, limón dulce mediterráneo, limón dulce y lima dulce
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
γλυκό ασβέστη
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
doce de limão
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
słodkie limonki
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
dulcis ad cinerem
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Caryophyllales
Family
Rutaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Citrus
Opuntia Mill
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Citreae
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Citroideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
32
1
27800
👆🏻