Opuntia ficus-indica
Prickly Pear
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Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) - Description
Prickly Pears are edible cacti native to much of Mexico. Both the fruits and the succulent stems are edible, but this comes with a warning. Being a cactus, Prickly Pears have sharp spines that can cause intense skin irritation. Handle with care. Luckily, the spines dislodge form the paddle-shaped stems and fruits easily.
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) - Blooming
Showy bowl shaped flowers in summer.
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) - Growth
Succulent, perennial cacti. Fleshy branches that are flat and padded or rounded. Barbed spines may be very large or small and hair like. Fruits are edible. Opuntia grows best in full sun.
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) - Planting
Propagate by dividing clumps in spring or rooting individual flattened pads.
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) - Pest
Mealybugs and scale insects. Other problems include cladode rots, black spot, bacterial soft rot, viruses, and zonate leaf spot.
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) - Interesting facts
Opuntia is native to the very dry regions of the Americas. The bristles can cause serious aggravation of the skin upon contact. Before consuming prickly pears, the small spines on the surface must thoroughly be removed. The fruits are used to produce distilled spirits in some countries. Prickly pears also contain a number of alkaloids and psychoactive compounds, some with medicinal significance.
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) - Soil and irrigation
Gritty soil or very well-drained organic soil. Wet soil, especially in winter, is fatal.
