Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Northwestern United States, Canada
Mexico
Types
-
Opuntia ficus-indica
Number of Varieties
68
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland, Moist Soils, Swamps
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-78-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 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
Pyramidal
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,520.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow
Yellow, Red, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown, Sienna
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Bronze
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Scale-like imbricate
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
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Hardwood Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of moisture in the growing season, when new, water every week
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full 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
Armillaria root rot, Bark beetles
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
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Birds, Rodents
Allergy
Asthma, contact allergic dermatitis, Urticaria
-
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
Bronchitis, Cold, Cough, Fever, Sore throat
Antioxidants, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Inner Bark, Leaves, Wood
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Dugout canoes, Making deodorants, Medicinal oil, Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods, Used as an insecticide, Used to make baskets
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
Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening / Wind Break
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit, Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
THUJA plicata
OPUNTIA ficus-indica
Common Name
Giant Arborvitae, Green Giant Arborvitae, Western Arborvitae, Western Red Cedar
Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus
In Hindi
Pacific redcedar
Opuntia ficus-indica
In German
Riesen-Lebensbaum
Opuntia ficus-indica
In French
Thuja plicata
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Spanish
Thuja plicata
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Greek
Thuja plicata
Φραγκοσυκιά
In Portuguese
Thuja plicata
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Polish
Żywotnik olbrzymi
Opuntia ficus-indica
In Latin
Thuja plicata
Opuntia ficus-indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Pinophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Pinopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Pinales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cupressaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Thuja
Opuntia Mill
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Opuntieae
Subfamily
-
Opuntioideae
Number of Species
152
1
27800
👆🏻