Prickly Pear (Opuntia)

The gender of Opuntia it is easy to identify, by its modified leaves that look like rackets, and by its thorns, which can not only be beautiful but also somewhat dangerous and / or, at least, annoying.

And it is that a simple touch is enough for you to end up with a few digs into the skin, but that does not mean that they are very interesting garden or pot plants  .

Origin and characteristics

Known as nopal, prickly pear or opuntia, the botanical genus is made up of more than 300 native species from the southern United States to Patagonia. Its size ranges between 30-35cm and 5 meters in height. They grow as branched shrubs with leaves or segments called cladodes, which are flat and usually oval in shape.. The areoles are small, and very fine spines sprout from them, and also, in some species, long and hard spines up to 10cm long.

The flowers are large, with bright colors that range from yellow to purple, through orange and red. Once they are pollinated, they produce the fruit, which is globose or ovoid, and measures between 3 and 5cm long, being reddish or orange when it finishes maturing. Inside it contains numerous small, black seeds.

Main species

Talking about all of them would take up a lot of time, so much so that we could write a blog just about them  , so we are going to let you know about the most popular ones, those that will be easier for you to find in nurseries:

Opuntia ficus-indica

Known as palera, tuna, prickly pear, nopal or fig tree, it is a shrub native to Mexico that reaches a height of up to 5 meters. Its segments have strong long spines and it produces yellow or red flowers in spring. The fruit is edible, measuring from 5 to 11cm and weighing between 43 and 220 grams.

It is considered an invasive species, but its possession and cultivation is allowed as its consumption is suitable for humans as long as it is not introduced into nature.

Names are still scientifically accepted Opuntia vulgaris, opuntia maxima, and opuntia cacti as synonyms.

opuntia humifusa

It is a creeping shrub plant native to North America that reaches a height of about 20 centimeters, with very flat segments and spines 2 to 3cm long. Its flowers are yellow, and the fruit is reddish, edible.

Opuntia microdasys

It is native to central and northern Mexico, and grows as a 1-1,5 meter bush. The segments are large, up to 15cm long, oval or oval-elongated with closely spaced areoles. Produces yellow flowers.

It looks a lot like the opuntia rufida, but the latter is a more northern species and has reddish-brown glochids (that is, the short spines emerging from the areoles).

You have more information about the Opuntia microdasys in the link.

opuntia monacantha

Known as urumbeba, palm thistle, or monducuru, it is a shrubby species 2 to 6 meters high endemic to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The leaves are oval, and solitary spines sprout from their areoles or in pairs 1 to 6 cm long, white or brownish in color. The flowers are yellow or reddish, and the fruit is ovoid, red and 5-8cm long.

Strict opuntia

Known as the coastal prickly pear cactus, it is a species native to Mexico, the United States and Cuba, which grows as a creeping, thorny shrub up to 50cm tall. It produces orange flowers and reddish fruits.

It is an invasive species; in fact, it is included in the Catalog of 100 Most Harmful Invasive Alien Species in the World, of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

What is the care of Opuntia?

If you want to have a copy, we recommend you take care of it as follows:

Location

They are plants that have to be outside, in full sun. But be careful, if they had it protected, get used to it little by little to prevent it from burning.

Earth

• Flower pot: you can use universal growing medium mixed with 50% perlite.
• Garden: grows in calcareous soils, with good drainage. It adapts well to those that are poor in nutrients.

Irrigation

Irrigation must be rather scarce. The soil or substrate must be allowed to dry between waterings, completely, as it fears waterlogging. The frequency will vary depending on the weather and the season, but to give you an idea, it is advisable to water an average of 1 or 2 times a week in summer, and every 10-15 days the rest of the year.

If you have it in the ground, it will be enough to water it the first year, because from the second it will have developed a root system strong enough to withstand several months of drought (in the area where I live they fall about 350mm a year, in spring and late in summer, we have 4-6 months of drought and the Opuntias that are on land grow happily).

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Not very necessary, but during the spring and summer you can add organic fertilizers, such as egg and banana peels. If you have it in a pot and / or you DO NOT intend to eat its fruits, use specific liquid fertilizers for cacti, following the instructions specified on the package.

Multiplication

The multiplication of opuntia it is made either by seeds or by cuttings of segments / leaves in spring-summer. The procedure is as follows:

Seeds

1. First, a pot is filled with universal growing medium and watered.
2. The seeds are then placed on the surface, and covered with a thin layer of substrate.
3. Then it is watered again, this time with a sprayer.
4. Finally, it is placed outside, in direct sun.

Keeping the substrate moist - not waterlogged - they will germinate in about 2 weeks.

Cuttings

It is the easiest and fastest way to get new specimens, since you only have to cut a leaf, let the wound dry for a week in semi-shade and then plant it in a pot with a universal growing medium.

Thus, it will emit its own roots in a short time, 2-3 weeks.

Planting or transplanting time

In spring, when the risk of frost has passed. If you have it in a pot, transplant it every 2 or 3 years, depending on its growth rate.

Plagues and diseases

It's very tough; however, mealybugs and snails they can do you a lot of harm.

Rusticity

It will depend on the species, but in general it resists weak and specific frosts of up to -3 ° C.

What uses do they have?

Ornamental

Opuntia are very decorative cacti, so much so that they are often easily found in collections. But also, according to which areas they are even used as defensive hedges.

eatables

Both the young segments and the fruits are edible:

• Industries: in Mexico they are used to prepare the nopales salad, with coriander and salt.
• Fruits: they can be consumed raw, or used to make sauces, sweets and ice cream.

Its nutritional value per 100 grams is as follows:

• Carbohydrates: 9,6g
  • Fiber: 3,6g
• Fat: 0,5g
• Proteins: 2,5g
• Vitamin A: 25? G
• Vitamin B2: 0,1mg
• Vitamin B3: 0,5mg
• Vitamin B6: 0,1mg
• Vitamin C: 0,1mg
• Vitamin E: 0mg
• Calcium: 56mg
• Iron: 0,3mg
• Magnesium: 85mg
• Phosphorus: 24mg
• Potassium: 220mg
• Sodium: 0,1mg

Medicinal

Opuntia can be used to treat coughs, migraines, and headaches.

What do you think of these cacti? Do you have any?