Prickly-Pear or Cholla Cactus
Opuntia species (CACTACEAE)
Planting and Growing Prickly-Pear Cactus
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow prickly-pear or cholla cactus in the accompanying table’s tabs:
-
- Flowers, pads (“tuna”), and fruit of prickly-pear or cholla cactus
- Growing conditions for prickly-pear or cholla cactus
- When and where to plant prickly-pear or cholla cactus
- How to plant prickly-pear or cholla cactus
- How to shape, prune and control growth of prickly-pear or cholla cactus
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of prickly-pear or cholla cactus
- Landscape uses of prickly-pear or cholla cactus
- Pest and disease control for prickly-pear or cholla cactus
Growing Prickly-Pear Cactus
Nearly 300 species of medium- to slow-growing, highly varied, branching cacti, 4–180 in. (10–455 cm) tall, featuring either jointed padlike “tuna” or tubular stems, and usually armed with white, yellow, needlelike, barbed, erect, clustered, often brittle bristles and spines, 1/4–1-in. (6–25-mm) long.
Commonly cultivated species include Opuntia basilaris, beavertail; Opuntia bigelovii, teddybear; Opuntia cholla, cholla; Opuntia ficus-indica, spineless Indian fig; Opuntia leptocaulis, Christmas cactus; and Opuntia vulgaris, prickly pear.
Prickly-Pear Cactus Planting and Care Guide
Flowers and Fruit
Showy, green, pink, purple, red, rose, white, yellow, sometimes multicolored flowers, 1/2–4-in. (12–100-mm) wide, in winter or spring, form purple, red, yellow, egg-shaped, edible fruit in summer.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones vary by species; most are hardy zones 8–10, some to zone 4.
Soil Type and Fertility
Damp to dry, well-drained, sandy soil. Fertility: Average–low. 6.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full sun. Spacing varies depending on species’ growth habit.
Proper Care
Easy. Water deeply; allow soil to dry completely between waterings. Drought tolerant. Fertilize annually in summer. Propagate by cuttings, layering, seed.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, barriers in arid gardens and landscapes. Fruit, pads of most species are edible. Pest and disease resistant.
Warning:
Spines can be hazardous; avoid planting in gardens frequented by pets and children.