Start growing
Requires perfect drainage and full sun. Extremely cold hardy (unlike most cacti).
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Cactus
Opuntia humifusa
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Cactus care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Opuntia humifusa
- Common names
- Eastern Prickly Pear
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Opuntia
- Species
- O. humifusa
Growing with your kit
The Seeds In A Cup® kit teaches 'Xeriscaping' – how plants store water in their fleshy pads to survive.
Propagation
By seed or by simply planting a pad.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Produces stunning yellow flowers in June, followed by edible red fruit (tunas).
Growing conditions
Sandy soil, rock outcrops, and coastal dunes.
Weather & tolerances
Extreme drought and heat tolerance; salt tolerant.
Pests & plant health
Cactus moth and root rot (if overwatered).
Plant safety
Beware of spines and glochids; fruit and pads must be peeled carefully.
Botanical features
A low-growing cactus with flat, fleshy pads (cladodes) covered in spines and tiny sharp bristles (glochids).
Varieties
Standard native species.
Garden & everyday uses
Edible pads (nopales) and fruit. ornamental rock gardens
Native range & distribution
The only cactus native to the Northeastern US.
Conservation
Secure; threatened in some states at the edge of its range.
Name origins
From the Greek town Opus; named for its prickly nature.
History
Prickly pear has been a staple food and dye source in the Americas for over 9,000 years.