Prickly pear vegetation (Opuntia spp.) are a big genus of cacti native to the Americas. They’re each edible and decorative vegetation of historic significance in southwestern United States and Mexico. One even seems on the flag of Mexico as a part of the nation’s creation story. 

Prickly pear vegetation are well-liked for his or her distinctive pads and colourful fruit, each of that are extremely nutritious. These vegetation are hardy and straightforward to develop, which make them a well-liked selection for gardeners. Nevertheless, when rising prickly pear, it is very important know that it is a prolific plant that may unfold and develop right into a dense colony below the proper situations.

Opuntia is a big plant genus with many species. Their particular progress wants and geographies fluctuate, however all are inclined to favor full solar and well-draining soil. Prickly pear vegetation are an awesome addition of visible curiosity and taste to many gardens.  

Fast Care Information

All About Prickly Pear Vegetation

Prickly pears are a part of the genus Opuntia and subgenus Platyopuntia, or “flat-Opuntia”, due to their distinctive fleshy pads that stack on prime of one another. As they develop, new pads develop on prime of earlier ones. These pads are lined in spines and are sometimes inexperienced to blue in shade. 

One selection, the O. santa rita, is putting due to its brilliant violet shade. On account of their form, prickly pear vegetation are also called paddle cactus and jointed cactus. Prickly pear cactus are recognized for his or her showy pink, orange, crimson, or yellow flowers which may bloom below the proper situations in spring or summer season. 

The flowers end in edible, pear-shaped fruits that are referred to as cactus pear or tuna fruit. These fruits may tackle many alternative colours comparable to inexperienced, yellow, crimson, or purple. The looks of flowers, fruits, spines, and pads are all depending on environmental situations.  

Prickly pear vegetation are properly tailored to arid climates which implies that they’ve wide-spreading and fibrous roots to maximise their floor space to seize restricted moisture. In addition they have the aptitude of fixing carbon dioxide at night time and shutting their stomata through the day to help with water retention. 

They mostly unfold vegetatively when pads break off and root, however may unfold over massive distances within the droppings of animals who eat the fruits. New vegetation can develop year-round and require minimal care as soon as established.  

Sure species of Opuntia are native to the American southwest whereas others originate from Mexico and the West Indies. Prickly pear may also be present in different areas of the world comparable to across the Mediterranean basin, Africa, and Australia. Of the practically sixty totally different species of Opuntia, one species, O. aurantiaca, is federally labeled as a noxious weed. 

Prickly pear pads and fruits are each thought-about superfoods for his or her excessive dietary worth however should be ready with care. Whereas some prickly pear vegetation have massive spines, others have hair-like barbed bristles that may irritate the pores and skin. The pads or nopales might be sliced and pickled, juiced, or cooked and utilized in salads. The fruits might be eaten uncooked or used to make jams, jellies, candies, wines, and syrups. 

There are various further makes use of for prickly pear vegetation together with as livestock feed and even pure dye. The juice of mature fruits has been traditionally used to dye wool or cloth as a result of energy of the colour and in addition antifungal and antibacterial properties. 

Prickly Pear Varieties

Prickly pears are half of a big genus of Opuntia vegetation with many types and practically 60 species. Listed below are a number of frequent varieties:

Opuntia ficus indica, generally often known as Indian fig or barbary fig, is a species native to Mexico and Central America. It’s extensively cultivated all over the world as a domesticated crop for its candy edible fruits. A typical specimen has a blue-green coloration, thick and flat pads, and orange or yellow flowers. It grows properly in poor soil situations and below excessive temperatures. 

Opuntia humifusa is a sprawling species native to the japanese United States and Canada and is often often known as the japanese prickly pear cactus.  It has clusters of small, spherical pads and showy pink or yellow flowers. As a result of this species can tolerate chilly temperatures, it is likely one of the solely prickly pear vegetation that may be discovered all through the japanese U.S. and at the same time as far north as Ontario. 

Native People not solely ate the pads and the fruit for meals but additionally used them for medicinal profit. This species tends to shrivel and dry up within the winter however will regain its blue-green shade beginning in early spring to early summer season. 

Opuntia microdasys is also called angel’s wings, bunny ears, or polka-dotted cactus for his or her clusters of sharp yellow glochids. It’s native to northern Mexico and southwestern U.S. This species shouldn’t be frost tolerant in contrast with the japanese prickly pear and can should be introduced indoors throughout chilly spills. Additionally it is generally grown as a houseplant. 

Different well-known kinds of prickly pear vegetation embody beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris), violet prickly pear (Opuntia santa-rita), pancake prickly pear (Opuntia chlorotica), large prickly pear (Opuntia streptacantha), Texas prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii), and coastal prickly pear (Opuntia littoralis). 

In perennial cool seasons, prickly pear cacti can develop as much as 12 ft tall and 4 ft broad. Broad and waxy ones can have pads that develop as much as 6 inches lengthy and may attain 20 ft tall. 

Planting Prickly Pear Cactus

Prickly pear cactus is a straightforward visible curiosity so as to add to your backyard or dwelling. They are often planted at any time of 12 months, however the very best time to develop them is through the hotter months of the 12 months when the soil is heat and there may be full solar. 

As with many succulents, planting depth is necessary to stop rotting. Younger prickly pear pads ought to be capable to stand upright and at a depth of round ½ to ¾ inches beneath the soil floor at its deepest. 

Prickly pear cactus favor well-draining soil and full daylight. They’re extraordinarily drought tolerant and may develop in quite a lot of soils, however they do greatest in sandy or rocky soil. They are often planted within the floor or in containers, so long as the container has ample drainage. 

Prickly pears, like many succulents, might be simply rooted and propagated. Whereas it’s attainable to begin them from seed, the germination charges are low and it takes a very long time for the plant to develop.  

Prickly Pear Plant Care

Prickly pear cactus is comparatively low upkeep and may thrive with the right combination of daylight, water, and vitamins. Correct care and fertilization can encourage fruit manufacturing. One of the frequent errors on the subject of caring for prickly pear vegetation is making an attempt to provide it an excessive amount of love by overwatering. 

Solar and Temperature

Prickly pear cactus thrives below full solar situations. It’s greatest to develop them in an space that receives ample and direct daylight per day. Whereas most Opuntia cactus should not tolerant of chilly climate, there are particular species that may be hardy all the way down to zone 3b and thrive within the cooler climates of Canada. 

Water and Humidity

As desert dwellers, these cacti are extremely tailored to outlive in arid situations and dry climate. Water your vegetation each 10-14 days or at any time when the soil is totally dry at a depth of 2-3 inches beneath the floor. Don’t water if this area has any wetness. It’s possible you’ll want to scale back irrigation within the winter months with shorter daylight and fewer evaporation. 

When the nighttime temperatures drop beneath 60° F, cease watering altogether. These vegetation are sometimes really useful to drought-conscious gardeners as a water-efficient decorative. Use basic watering greatest practices, and hold irrigation near the bottom of the plant as an alternative of overhead. 

Soil

Prickly pear cactus thrives in well-draining soil and may even tolerate poor soil situations. If you happen to’re rising these vegetation as a houseplant, choose a cactus potting combine to make sure that the soil is appropriate. Prickly pear vegetation don’t have particular pH necessities and may develop in poor soil high quality.

Fertilizing Prickly Pear Cactus

Most growers don’t use further fertilizer for prickly pear, as water is an important issue that impacts the well being and progress of the plant. Nevertheless, if you happen to plan to have massive harvests of pads, you need to use a extra nitrogen-based fertilizer. 

To advertise extra showy flowers and ample fruits, use a fertilizer that doesn’t have nitrogen or one with a 0-10-0 NPK. Comply with the producer’s instructions on the label and apply as soon as a month year-round. Indoor cacti may profit from occasional fertilization with a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer because the vitamins in pots are inclined to get depleted quicker. 

Pruning Prickly Pear Cactus

Pruning prickly pear cactus shouldn’t be usually required until the aim is to manage the enlargement of the plant, take cuttings or take away a broken or diseased part. There are a number of pathogens that may have an effect on prickly pears. 

The removing of those illness sections will assist handle the unfold of the illness, significantly if the pathogen spreads via sporulation. Pads on the decrease a part of the plant are probably the most weak to illness as a result of comparatively increased humidity close to these areas. 

Prickly Pear Cactus Propagation

Prickly pear cactus might be propagated utilizing quite a lot of strategies, together with cuttings, seeds, and grafting. 

The commonest and efficient technique of propagation is to take pad cuttings, just like how prickly pear spreads within the wild. Use rubbing alcohol to sanitize instruments earlier than beginning. Snip a wholesome pad off of a mature plant and wait a number of days for the wound to dry. Place the cut-side down right into a pot with soil and water properly. The reducing will root inside a weeks days. Finally, new pads will bud from the margins of the reducing.  

One other technique is to plant seeds though the germination fee might be low. Take a ripe fruit and wash away any fruit pulp surrounding the seed. Use a pointy software or sandpaper to scarify the robust outer seed coat after which soak the seeds for a number of days earlier than planting. Make certain the seeds are buried very shallowly to encourage germination. 

We at Epic Gardening have a publish that particulars each taking cuttings and rising from seed for prickly pear cactus propagation.

The third and extra commercially used technique of propagation is grafting. This system is often used to provide a extra fascinating progress behavior, flowers, or improve the plant’s survivability by grafting it onto hardier root inventory. This technique may be very time intensive and never sometimes utilized by the house gardener. 

Harvesting and Storing Prickly Pear Cactus

Prickly pear cacti might be harvested for his or her fleshy pads or for fruits. Make certain to deal with each with care as to not injure your self within the course of. Don’t wash the pads or fruits till after the spines and glochids have been eliminated. Even spineless varieties can nonetheless trigger irritation from their tiny glochids.

Harvesting

Prickly pear fruits have to be harvested when ripe as a result of they won’t proceed to ripen as soon as picked. In North America, their season sometimes begins in August and ends in September. As soon as the fruit has been harvested, it may be saved within the fridge for a number of days or processed and frozen for long-term storage. 

Among the best methods of harvesting is to make use of tongs along with sporting gloves. Gently squeeze them to check for ripeness. The fruits are able to be picked when the tongs go away behind a slight indentation. The scale and shade could not at all times be the very best indication of ripeness since that is dependent upon the range. 

Use the tongs to rigorously twist the fruit till it separates from the pad. As a result of the glochids on the fruits might be very sharp and tiny, they could trigger irritation if not eliminated. Use the tongs to carry the fruit in place whereas utilizing a protracted lighter to burn the skin of the fruit. 

These glochids simply burn off and may make processing simpler. You can too char off the skin utilizing tongs and the flames of a gasoline range. Run the charred fruit below water and use a vegetable brush to take away the pores and skin. 

Use tongs and put on thick gloves when harvesting prickly pear pads. Bend the pad away from the supporting pad beneath. Make a clear minimize on the joint utilizing sanitized instruments comparable to a pointy knife. It’s higher to reap the pads within the morning as a result of the acid content material in them varies all through the day. 

Harvest youthful pads fairly than massive pads for a extra tender texture. Use a knife to rigorously minimize away the spines or needle beds and peel the pad to entry the flesh. Nopal cactus is an ingredient out there in grocery shops. Sometimes, industrial growers develop spineless nopales varieties for culinary use.

Storing

Prickly pear fruits might be saved for a number of days within the fridge earlier than use. Complete fruits may also be saved within the freezer as one of many steps to juicing. Prickly pear juice might be saved for as much as one 12 months within the freezer. Juices may also be made into jelly, candies, jams, syrups, and even alcoholic drinks to increase the shelf life.  

If you happen to’re not utilizing the fruits for juice, peel them, take away the seeds, and slice them into bite-sized chunks. Place the items in a single layer on a tray till frozen. They will then be transferred into freezer baggage and saved for a number of months.

Prickly pear pads can’t be saved for long-term within the fridge as a consequence of their excessive water content material and tendency to show slimy. Whereas they are often frozen or stress canned like inexperienced beans, these processes will change the feel of the flesh to be mushier. Prickly pear cactus might be preserved as a pickle or dehydrated utilizing the oven or a dehydrator to 175° F levels over a number of hours to help with long-term storage. 

Troubleshooting

Prickly pear is often a straightforward plant to take care of, however there could be some frequent points related to rising situations, pests, and illnesses. It’s necessary to watch the plant and slim down the attainable causes to search out the proper options. 

Rising Issues

The commonest rising issues can happen as a consequence of overwatering. Root rot is a matter that may happen when the soil is simply too moist for too lengthy. You will need to let the soil dry utterly between watering and to not bury cuttings too deeply to stop this challenge. Having satisfactory draining can also be necessary for wholesome progress. Poorly draining soil may even improve the probabilities of root rot. 

Underwatering may happen, particularly with houseplants. The pads will wilt, yellow, and brown, and finally die if not water for a protracted time frame.

Numerous climate situations may trigger some progress points. Sunscald is feasible even for desert vegetation in the event that they have been initially grown in greenhouses and nurseries. Sunburn on cactus manifests in massive tan patches that may finally scar.  

In case you are buying cacti from a greenhouse and plan to make use of them within the panorama, it is best to slowly transfer the plant exterior for a number of hours a day to assist them acclimate to a special atmosphere and full solar. Transplanting in late winter may also assist to stop sunburn because the photo voltaic rays are much less intense.   

Frost and freeze can harm species that aren’t cold-tolerant. Choose the proper species to your native situations and canopy your vegetation with a floating row cowl or cotton sheet in case of an unseasonable chilly spell. In case your vegetation are potted in containers, they are often moved indoors till the climate improves. 

Hail may trigger some harm to prickly pear vegetation and might be mitigated utilizing these similar strategies.  

Pests

With its sharp spines and worsening barbs, the prickly pear cactus has a pure protection system towards many animals and customary pests. Nevertheless, there are a number of bugs that aren’t postpone by their formidable look. 

Cochineal scale (Dactylopius coccus) is a mealybug-like scale insect that secretes a white, waxy outer coating; it appears to be like like tufts of cotton on the stems and pads of the plant. To confirm this insect, crush the insect and search for deep crimson physique fluids. Crushed scale was used historically as cochineal dye. The scales might be washed away by a powerful stream of water or an utility of insecticidal cleaning soap. 

Cactus longhorn beetle (Moneilema gigas) is one other frequent pest that assaults a number of varieties of cacti together with these within the Opuntia genus. Grownup beetles vary from 1-1 ¼ inches in size and are shiny and black in look. They have a tendency to feed alongside the margins of the pads and their larvae may tunnel via the stems and roots which is able to trigger the plant to die. 

The beetles are lively in early mornings and evenings and are straightforward to identify to choose off. Hand-picking this pest often may help to get the problem below management. Very spiny varieties are sometimes not affected as a consequence of their pure defenses.

Throughout lengthy intervals of drought, small mammals may nibble on the cacti to entry water. These vegetation can get better from a number of bites and no further controls are wanted.  

A number of bugs have additionally been used as a organic management to manage the unfold of invasive cacti. The cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) was efficiently used towards invasive cacti in Australia and was launched from South America. The larvae of this moth burrows into the pads and consumes the flesh from the within. 

The invasion additionally makes the vegetation extra weak to secondary fungal and bacterial infections. This insect shouldn’t be present in North America. Different species of bugs have been used within the U.S. which incorporates the North American cactus moth (Melitara dentata), the blue cactus borer (Olycella subumbrella), and the cactus bug (Chelinidea vittiger).

Illnesses

Prickly pears are hardy and resilient vegetation that aren’t vulnerable to many illnesses. There are solely two to pay attention to. 

Phyllosticta pad spot is attributable to a fungal pathogen. The fungus will produce small, black reproductive buildings that end in black lesions on Opuntia species. Spores unfold shortly via rain or wind and may trigger heavy infections after moist intervals. One of the best ways to fight this illness is to maintain the pads dry and to take away any pads with seen lesions. In case of a extreme an infection, the whole plant ought to be eliminated. 

Just like the Phyllosticta pad spot, one other illness, Sammons’ virus, additionally doesn’t have management strategies moreover removing of the contaminated components or the entire plant. This virus is carefully associated to the Tobacco Mosaic Virus and is categorized as a Tobamovirus. Like TMV, this virus leads to yellow rings on the tip of the pads. The infections don’t appear to trigger noticeable harm to plant well being.  

Regularly Requested Questions

Q: The place does prickly pear develop greatest?

A: Develop prickly pear vegetation in sunny areas with gravelly to sandy soil. Usually, vegetation within the wild might be discovered on the rocky facet of south-facing slopes and hills. They’re properly suited to arid to semi-arid landscapes. 

Q: How briskly does prickly pear develop?

A: Underneath the proper situations, prickly pears can shortly colonize an space via vegetative propagation and type a dense colony. This poses some concern for wildlife and the grazing high quality of land. Throughout drought years, they will sometimes outperform different native vegetation like grasses.

Q: Why are prickly pears an issue?

A: They will unfold shortly if unchecked in wild areas all over the world and is a selected challenge in Australia. There may be additionally one species that’s labeled as a noxious weed within the U.S. A typical land administration observe is to make use of scheduled burning to manage their unfold. Nevertheless, vegetation might be simply managed in dwelling gardens. 

Q: Are prickly pears straightforward to develop?

A: Sure, prickly pears are straightforward to develop as soon as established. 

Q: Are you able to contact prickly pear?

A: No, you shouldn’t contact them as a result of they’ve removable spines or sharp hairs referred to as glochids. Each could cause discomfort and pores and skin irritation. It’s greatest to deal with prickly pear vegetation with heavy-duty rubber gloves and tongs. 

Q: What month do prickly pears bloom?

A: Prickly pears sometimes bloom from late spring to late summer season relying on the particular selection and rising atmosphere. Some can begin blooming as early as April whereas others received’t begin till early summer season. The months in bloom additionally rely upon during which hemisphere these vegetation are grown. 

Q: What’s the lifespan of a prickly pear cactus?

A: These vegetation have a large lifespan relying on the range and may stay a protracted life below appropriate situations. The Opuntia ficus indica, for instance, can stay as much as 80 years. 

Q: Are you able to eat a prickly pear fruit uncooked?

A: Sure, you possibly can eat uncooked prickly pear fruit or juice the fruit to eat as a drink or for use as a pure dye. Essentially the most generally consumed selection is the O. ficus indica.