Prickly Pear cactus is one of the easiest cactus species to grow and doesn’t demand too much care. It’s native to the Northeastern regions of the United States and It offers delicate and cheery flowers as well.
This article discusses the best care tips for Prickly Pear in detail along with other information you need to know if you want to grow it in your backyard. So, let’s jump into it.
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Prickly Pear Cactus at a Glance
Also known as Opuntia compressa, Prickly Pear Cactus is a fast-growing, hardy, and beautiful plant that belongs to the Cactaceae family.is a fast-growing, hardy, and beautiful plant that belongs to the Cactaceae family.
The beautiful Prickly Pear offers green, flat, and large paddles and it also offers yellow, orange, and red flowers once it matures. It can easily survive in climates that are down to USDA hardiness growing zone 4.
Nomenclature
- Scientific name: Opuntia compressa
- Common name: Prickly pear
- Synonyms: Opuntia, Nopal, Opuntia lindheimeri, Bunny Ears, Indian fig
Classification
- Genus: Opuntia
- Tribe: Opuntieae
- Subfamily: Opuntioideae
- Family: Cactaceae
Different Types of Prickly Pear
There are multiple types of Prickly Pear and you can grow most of them in your yards. You’ll find the most suitable types from your local garden centers and the following are some of the most common ones.
Opuntia humifusa
It can grow up to 12 inches in height and offers orange splotches and yellow flowers. It’s one of the most popular types of Prickly Pear cacti that people grow in backyards.
- Plant Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
Albaspina
Albaspina can easily grow up to 2 feet in height and it’s also a popular houseplant choice
- Plant Hardiness Zone: 9 to 10
Opuntia Aurea
It’s also called Golden Prickly Pear and it can grow up to 2 feet in height. It offers yellow flowers during the spring season.
- Plant Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
Opuntia Fragilis
It is known as fragile or brittle Prickly Pear and it only grows up to 6 inches in height. As the name implies this type of Prickly Pear can easily break off.
- Plant Hardiness Zone: 4 to 11
Opuntia Macrorhiza
Opuntia Macrohiza is also called Plains Prickly Pear and it can grow up to 12 inches in height. It offers light yellow flowers that come with little red eyes during June and July months.
- Plant Hardiness Zone: 3b to 9
Opuntia Erinacea Ursine
Opuntia erinacea ursine is commonly known as Snow Prickly Pear cactus and can grow up to 18 inches tall. These are some of the most cold tolerant lowland cacti around!
- Plant Hardiness Zone: 5b to 9b
How to Grow and Propagate Prickly Pear
During the growing season, you can use a cutting to grow a new Prickly Pear plant. It can grow through both seeds and cuttings. You can use the following instructions to grow Prickly Pear by cuttings.
- Cut 2, 3 pads from the mature Prickly Pear plant and let them dry for a couple of days. Use a towel or a cardboard piece to cover the cuttings.
- Fill a medium-size container with dry cactus potting mix and place the Prickly Pear’s cut end in the pot.
- Lightly water the plant once and place it in a spot that receives partial or reflected sunlight. Leave the plant until it starts growing and start the regular watering and fertilizing process.
- Don’t water it more than twice a month during the summer months. In other months of the year, watering Prickly Pear once a month is enough.
You can also grow Prickly Pear from seeds and you can use the following steps to achieve that.
- Cut open the ripe Prickly Pear fruit.
- Scoop out the healthy seeds.
- Clean the seeds by rinsing the pulp and letting them dry.
- Once dried, add the seeds into a pot containing well-draining and moist soil.
- Add a thin layer of soil to cover the seeds lightly.
- Use clear plastic wrap to cover the pot.
- Place it in a sunny and warm spot.
It can take several weeks to germinate the seeds.
Is Pruning Prickly Pear Necessary?
No, pruning Prickly Pear is not necessary to ensure its health. However, you can perform this step if you want to control the size of your Prickly Pear. It comes in handy if you want to place these cacti indoors.
All you need to do is to cut the pads away by holding the plant with tongs. You can also use these pads if you want to propagate new Prickly Pear plants.
How to Take Care of Your Prickly Pear Cactus?
The different Prickly Pear species come with different care needs. Generally speaking, well-draining soil and ample sun are two key factors that ensure healthy growth. Wet soil can kill Prickly Pear cactus as they start to rot quickly in soggy environments.
Pruning
These plants can also go dormant during the winter months and deflating or dried up pads are the common symptoms. You’ll need to prune away the deformed growth and unsightly pads during spring when the plant returns to its normal plumpness.
Watering
Prickly Pear thrives in dry environments and requires very little water. That’s why they’re most commonly grown in low-water gardens. You’ll only need to water your Prickly Pear once a month.
However, during the summer season, watering Prickly Pear twice a month is recommended. Make sure that you only moisten the soil instead of soaking it. Additionally, if you get minimal rainfall, you don’t need to water your Prickly Pear at all.
On the other hand, if you live in a region with a lot of rainfall, make sure that you use soil for your Prickly Pear that’s extremely well-draining and porous.
Soil
Soil that drains well is probably the most critical requirement for the Prickly Pear cactus. Consider using gravelly or sandy soil for these plants but you can also use any other type of soil as long as it offers good drainage.
Check out our Ultimate Soil Guide here!
Light
Just like most cacti, Prickly Pear is also a desert plant and it thrives under the shiny sunlight. It means a mature Prickly Pear plant needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. You can place it right in front of a south or west-facing window if you want to keep your plant indoors.
If you live in a place with a very hot climate, consider providing your Prickly Pear plant with some shade during the day to prevent sunburn.
Humidity and Temperature
As mentioned, Prickly Pear thrives in dry and hot climates but they can also tolerate cold temperatures. That’s because nights in deserts are usually cool. Therefore, Prickly Pear grows well in places that have hot summers and mild winters with very low humidity.
Typical indoor humidity levels and temperatures are also fine for these cacti but you’ll need to make sure that you keep them away from the air-conditioning and heat sources.
Fertilizers
If you use high-quality soil and plant your Prickly Pear plants in the ground, you will rarely need to use fertilizer. But if you use pots for Prickly Pear, you’ll need to use a good fertilizer periodically, especially during the growing season.
You can also add fertilizer if your plant doesn’t flower or you see its green pads getting dull. If you need more fruits and flowers, consider using a low-nitrogen fertilizer. A high-nitrogen fertilizer will work best if you want larger pads.
Common Prickly Pear Problems
The following are some of the most common problems (along with easy solutions) that you can face with Prickly Pear.
Splitting Pads
If your Prickly Pear pads are becoming too plump and you see signs of splitting, it means you have overwatered your plant.
Reducing the water intervals will allow your Prickly Pear to recover. You’ll also need to remove the affected pads because there is no way to heal them.
Shriveled Pads
If you see dry-looking and shriveled pads, it means your Prickly Pear has been underwatered. You’ll need to increase your watering intervals until the pads are full again.
However, if your Prickly Pear pads are shriveled slightly during winter, there’s nothing to worry about as it’s their natural lifecycle’s part.
White or Brown Patches on Pads
White or brown patches on Prickly Pear pads mean that the plant is suffering from sunburn. In such a situation, place the plant in a spot that receives partial sunlight until the patches are gone.
Mushy Parts
If some parts of your Prickly Pear are becoming mushy, consider it a red flag. It happens due to overwatering and cactus when cactus start developing rot.
You’ll need to immediately cut away the rotted parts and reduce your watering intervals. Otherwise, you’ll need to discard the whole plant.
Collapse
It’s another problem that happens due to overwatering when the plant sags and collapses suddenly. Sadly, it’s not possible to recover the plant if it has collapsed and you’ll need to discard it.
Common Plant Diseases and Pests
Prickly Pear is vulnerable to a range of insect pests such as mealybug and scale. You can use a mild pesticide, neem oil, or rubbing alcohol. Prickly Pears are also prone to phyllosticta fungus caused by humid or wet climates.
Phyllosticta isn’t a deadly fungus but it’s highly contagious and can affect nearby plants. You can cut the affected Prickly Pear pads to keep this disease from spreading.
Final Words
While Prickly Pear doesn’t demand too much care, it certainly doesn’t mean that you can set it in your garden and forget it. Just like any other plant, you need to take the right actions to take proper care of this beautiful plant to ensure longevity and health.
With proper care, it can live for up to 20 years, so, consider using the tips discussed in this guide to help your Prickly Pear thrive.