Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

prickly-pear cactus

Synonym(s):

Opuntia humifusa

Genus species:

Opuntia austrina

Family:

Cactaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

1-2 (4) ft tall by 1-3 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

evergreen

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Thorns, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Can be used as a small specimen plant or as a low-growing hedge that is sure to keep out intruders.

Considerations:

Thorns! This plant has thorns and prickles that will attack the unwary. They make weeding difficult, and the plant needs to be where no one will accidentally step on it.

Availability:

Friends

Propagation:

Fragments of an existing plant.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- 1Stays wet

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars



  • Nectar plant for dotted skipper ( Hesperia attalus ) butterflies.


  • Attracts a variety of insects, especially native bees.


Native Habitats:

Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, sandhill, xeric disturbed areas.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Hispanic people use a fruits (called tunas) to make jams and syrups. They also slice the pads (nopales) into thin strips, grill them, and serve with a lime juice.

General Comments:

Rarely grown but worthy of consideration in hot dry locations where the thorns are not an issue or are an asset.



One of several cactus species that is attacked by the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, which arrived in Florida in 1989, and this invasive species has become a serious threat to the diversity and abundance of Opuntia cacti in North America. If it become a problem on an Opuntia used in landscaping, it is best treated by manual removal as insecticides can also kill native butterflies and pollinators.



O. austrina is considered to be a Florida endemic.