Opuntia humifusa
Eastern prickly pear
Family CactaceaeAlso called Devil's-tongue, Indian fig
About
Eastern prickly pear is a low-growing cactus of the eastern United States, southeastern Canada and northeastern Mexico. It is one of only two cacti native to the eastern US.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Listed as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, but spines and glochids cause injury. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Barbed glochids lodge in skin and irritate; wear gloves when handling. General guidance for the genus
- Light
- Full sun (6+ hours of direct sun); high light indoors. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Very drought tolerant; avoid soggy soil, which causes root rot. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Thin, fast-draining soil; in the wild on shale barrens and sandy coasts.
- Propagation
- A single detached pad roots readily to form a new plant. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Low, spreading plant of flattened green segments with barbed bristles and occasional longer spines. Waxy yellow to gold flowers 4–6 cm across, sometimes red-centred, open in late spring. Red or purple fruits 3–5 cm long often stay on the plant until the next spring.
Distribution & habitat
Along the US East Coast from the Florida Keys to Massachusetts, including barrier islands, with scattered sites west to New Mexico and Montana. Grows in hot, sunny spots with thin, fast-draining soil such as shale barrens.
Ecology
Associated with endophytic fungi.
Cultivation notes
Fruits are edible once the bristles are dealt with; the pulp makes syrup or jelly and roasted seeds can be ground into meal. Young segments are roasted to remove spines and cooked like green beans.
History & etymology
Used in traditional medicine in Indian, American, Mexican and Korean cultures. Sometimes treated as a variety or synonym of O. compressa.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States, Canada, Mexico
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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