Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
America, Europe
Mexico
Types
Clump verbena, Moss verbena, Annual Verbena, Brazilian verbena, Sandpaper Verbana
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
508
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forest edges, Hillside, Woods
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-98-12
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
-
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
6.56 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.50 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue, Dark Purple, Light Purple, Red, White
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
-
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Globe shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Early Spring, Late Autumn
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Well drained
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water frequently, Medium, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, 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, Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune lower leaves, Prune regularly, Prune to control growth
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
Bold
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
-
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Arthritis, Asthma, Chest Pain, Itchiness, Whooping Cough
-
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
Arthritis, Gallbladder Diseases, Itching, Jaundice, Joint pain, Kidney problems, Liver problems, Metabolic disorders, Sore throat, Upset stomach, Urinary tract problems
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics, Decoration Purposes, Economic Purpose, Employed in herbal medicine, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for flavoring in Liquors, dairy products, gelatins,puddings, meats, candies, etc., Used for fragrance
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
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edible, Herb
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
Purpletop Vervain
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Verbena
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
verbena
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Eisenkraut
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
verveine
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Verbena
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
λουίζα
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
verbena
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
werbena
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Grindelia
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Verbenaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Verbena
Opuntia Mill
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
-
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
2502
1
27800
👆🏻