Barbary Fig
Opuntia ficus-indica
Also known as: Opuntia cordobensis
- Native to:
- Mexico
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Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Cactaceae
- Genus:
- Opuntia
- Species:
- Opuntia ficus-indica
- USDA Symbol:
- OPFI
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow, orange, red
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
Keystone Species Ranking
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, bees, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from surviving pad tissue after fire; established plants can recover from moderate burns.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Thrives in arid and semi-arid regions.
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–90 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have hard coats requiring scarification. Propagation more commonly done via cladode cuttings.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI