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Summary
Physical Characteristics
Opuntia dillenii is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Cactus chinensis Roxb. Cactus dillenii Ker Gawl. Cactus indicus Roxb. Opuntia melanosperma Svenson. Opuntia stricta var. dillenii (Ker Gawl.) L.D.Benson
Plant Habitats
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers Fruit Leaves Stem
Edible Uses:
Edible Portion: Fruit, Flowers, Pads. Fruits are insipid but very juicy, and are eaten raw or made into syrup, jam or jelly. The fruit are peeled then eaten fresh, preserved or made into wine. Young joints are cut into pieces and boiled, or dried in the sun for future use [183].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
None Known
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Fencing Fodder
Carbon Farming Solutions - Agroforestry Services: living fence (Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland). Intercropped with other forage species like Mesquite (Prosopis SPP). Fodder: bank, insect.
Special Uses
Carbon Farming Food Forest
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
Agroforestry Services: Living fence Fodder: Bank Fodder: Insect Regional Crop
Climate: tropical. Humidity: semi-arid. A succulent shrub, growing under desert and dry conditions. It grows in sandy, waste places. It needs full sun. It needs a temperature above 13°C. Plants are grown by chopping them into small pieces and drying before planting. Opuntia dillenii plants are relatively sensitive to frost. At an annual mean temperature of 20°C to 30°C they need at least 150 to 250 mm precipitation per annum, but accept also lower temperatures (on average 10°C to 20°C) combined with much rain (about 1000 mm per annum). Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: regional crop (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation) [1-1].
Carbon Farming
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Agroforestry Services: Living fence
Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
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Fodder: Bank
Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
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Fodder: Insect
Plants grown for useful fodder insects.
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Regional Crop
These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:
Fahrenheit:
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Plant Propagation
Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter. Cuttings of leaf pads at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Chapal, Chhittarthohar, Chorhatalo, Dildo, Eltham indian fig, Hathhathoria, Kalazaung-letwa, Kalazaw, Kyasha, Nagadari, Nagajemudu, Nagathali, Nagophenia, Nagphana, Ni ci ba ga, Pak'an, Palakakkalli, Papaskalli, Prickly Pear, Sappathikalli, Shazaung-letwa, Slipper thorn, Sweet prickly pear, Vot gai. Australian pest pear, common prickly pear, Dillen's prickly pear, Eltham Indian fig, erect prickly pear, Gayndah pear, pipestem prickly pear, prickly pear, sour prickly pear, spiny pest pear, spiny pest-pear, sweet prickly pear, sweet prickly-pear.
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Found In
Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available
Africa, Asia, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Caribbean, Central America, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Haiti, India, Indochina, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Myanmar, North America, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, USA, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, West Indies
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Constitutes a serious threat to native species, habitats or ecosystems in dry and warm climates around the world. It is involved in dangerous infestations with several Opuntia species, notably Opuntia stricta (pest pear) in eastern Australia.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
| Related Plants
|
| Latin Name | Common Name | Habit | Height | Hardiness | Growth | Soil | Shade | Moisture | Edible | Medicinal | Other |
| Cylindropuntia spp. | Cholla | Perennial | 2.0 |
8-12
| S | LMH | SN | D | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Opuntia compressa | Eastern Prickly Pear, Prickly Pear Cactus | Perennial | 0.2 |
8-10
| F | LM | N | D | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Opuntia erinacea | Mojave Prickly Pear | Perennial | 0.5 |
8-11
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Opuntia ficus-indica | Prickly Pear, Barbary fig | Perennial | 5.0 |
8-11
| | LM | N | D | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Opuntia fragilis | Prickly Pear, Brittle pricklypear | Perennial | 0.1 |
7-10
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Opuntia howeyi | | Perennial | 0.0 |
-
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Opuntia imbricata | Tree Chola | Perennial | 3.0 |
8-11
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Opuntia littoralis | Western Prickly Pear | Perennial | 0.6 |
-
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Opuntia macrorhiza | Twist-Spine Prickly Pear | Perennial | 0.1 |
8-11
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Opuntia microdasys | Bunny Ears, Angel's-wings | Perennial | 0.6 |
7-10
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Opuntia phaeacantha | Bastard Fig, Tulip pricklypear | Perennial | 0.5 |
8-11
| | LM | N | D | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Opuntia polyacantha | Plains Prickly Pear, El Paso pricklypear, Grizzlybear pricklypear, Navajo Bridge pricklypear, Hairsp | Perennial | 0.2 |
3-7
| | LM | N | D | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Opuntia ramosissima | Branched Pencil Cholla | Perennial | 0.6 |
7-10
| | LM | N | D | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Opuntia tomentosa | Velvet prickly pear, Woollyjoint Pricklypear | Perennial | 4.5 |
9-12
| M | LM | N | DM | 3 | 0 | 3 |
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
(Ker-Gawl.) Haw
Botanical References
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
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Subject : Opuntia dillenii
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