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Summary

Opuntia species, Prickly Pear are native to desert environments, where they thrive under extreme heat and minimal water availability. They are used for their edible fruits and pads and make a stock-proof barrier. Eat the sweet and gelatinous fruit raw, cooked or dried for later use. The unripe fruits can be added to soups, imparting an okra-like mucilaginous quality. The fruit can hang on the plant all year round. Eat the watery and very mucilaginous pads cooked or raw. Try Barbary fig (O. ficus-indica), Eastern Prickly Pear (O. compressa), Dillen Prickly Pear (O.dillenii), Engelmann’s Prickly Pear (O. engelmannii), Eastern Prickly Pear (O. humifusa), Wheel Cactus (O. robusta), and Velvet Prickly Pear (O. tomentosa). Cholla (Cylindropuntia spp.) was formerly treated as a subgenus of Opuntia. However, it has now been separated based on its cylindrical stems (Opuntia species have flattened stems) and the presence of papery epidermal sheaths on the spines. All the buds and the fruits of the cholla are edible. O. ficus-indica is native to Mexico but widely grown in Mediterranean regions, North Africa, and Southwestern U.S.. Harvesting: The fruits (tunas) are harvested in late summer to autumn.

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. The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
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 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

Agroforestry uses: Prickly pear can be used as a natural fence or barrier, provides habitat for wildlife, and its pads can be used as forage for livestock. 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. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen: Yes – Prickly pear flowers are known for being rich in nectar and attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. 2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting): Yes – The fruit (tunas) and pads (nopales) of prickly pear are edible and provide food for various wildlife, including birds and mammals. The pads can also offer some shelter for small animals. 3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover): Yes – The pads and spines can provide shelter for invertebrates, and the leaf litter around the base can serve as habitat for beneficial insects. 4. Pest Confuser (Smell): No – While prickly pear may have some aromatic qualities, they are not specifically recognized for confusing or deterring pests.

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

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]. The fruits (tunas) are typically harvested in late summer to autumn, around late summer to early fall, depending on the species and climate. Opuntia species usually flower in late spring to early summer. Opuntia species generally grow moderately fast, with many species capable of producing new pads and fruit within the first year of planting, especially in favorable conditions. Many Opuntia species are self-fertile, though cross-pollination can improve fruit set and quality.

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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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.

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: United States, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Campeche, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán, SOUTHERN AMERICA: Anguilla, Netherlands Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, United States, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S., Virgin Islands (British), Ecuador,

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
Opuntia dillenii	Dillen prickly pear,	Perennial	1.0	10-12	M	LM	N	DM	3	0	3

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.

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Opuntia_dillenii - (Ker-Gawl.) Haw