Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Europe, Asia
Mexico
Types
Thodopuza, Red streaked, Alleppey
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
308
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Tropical Forests, Tropical regions, Well Drained
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-118-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
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
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
100.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Tan, Brown
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Elliptic
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
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
Mid Spring
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Root Division
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, 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
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut back old stems to the ground, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, Fertilize the soil before planting, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Leaf Hoppers, Mites, Scale, Snails
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Shallow soil
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Caterpillar, Mites, Rabbits, Snails
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Abdominal distension, Blurred vision, Oral Allergy
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Blood purifying, Making cosmetics, Natural Sunscreen, Remove blemishes, Skin inflammation
Nourishes scalp, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Fixes Nitrogen, Prevent weeds, Provides ground cover
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Abdominal Disease, Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Atherosclerosis, Brain disease, Carminative, Cold, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, Eczema, Liver problems, Menstrual Cramps, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms, Treatment of ulcers, Urinary tract problems
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as an ointment, Used as colouring in foods, Used as insect repellent
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
Alpine, Cutflower, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
Curcuma longa
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Turmeric, Curcuma
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
हल्दी
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Kurkuma
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
curcuma
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Curcuma longa
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
κουρκούμη
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
curcuma
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
kurkuma
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
turmeric
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Caryophyllales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Curcuma
Opuntia Mill
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Zingibereae
Opuntieae
Subfamily
Zingiberoideae
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
1002
1
27800
👆🏻