Practical
Plants

Opuntia ficus-indica

Prickly Pear

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Opuntia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
5 m
Spread
5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids (hairs) that are easily dislodged when the plant is touched and they then become stuck to the skin where they are difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable discomfort[4].

Edible uses

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[6][10][3][7][8][12]. Sweet and gelatinous[11]. Very refreshing, they are somewhat like a watermelon in flavour[2]. The fruits are up to 10cm long and 9cm wide[4]. Be careful of the plants irritant hairs, see the notes above on toxicity. Pads - cooked and used like French beans[3][2]. Watery and very mucilaginous[11]. Flowers - raw[3]. Seed - ground into a meal[3][13]. An edible gum is obtained from the stem[9].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Gum
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The flowers and stems are antispasmodic, diuretic and emollient[10]. The split stems have been bound around injured limbs as a first aid measure[5]. The flowers are astringent and are used to reduce bleeding and treat problems of the gastro-intestinal tract, especially diarrhoea, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome[5]. The flowers are also used in the treatment of an enlarged prostate gland[5].

Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emollient

Material uses

A gum is obtained from the stem. It is used as a masticatory or mixed with oil to make candles[9]. The juice of the boiled stem segments is very sticky. It is added to plaster, whitewash etc to make it adhere better to walls[13].

Product or use
Gum

Environment

Range
Original habitat is obscure.
Habitat
Naturalized in the Mediterranean where it grows in dry arid and rocky places[12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
low
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, drought
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

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.

Cultivation

Requires a sandy or very well-drained soil[1][6]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5[4]. Plants must be kept fairly dry in the winter but they like a reasonable supply of water in the growing season. A position at the base of a south-facing wall or somewhere that can be protected from winter rain is best for this plant. Requires warmth and plenty of sun[6]. Plants tolerate considerable neglect[6]. Cultivated in many warm temperate and sub tropical areas for its edible fruits[12][2] and its use as a stock-proof barrier, it is not very cold-tolerant and is unlikely to survive the winter outdoors in Britain. There are some named varieties[2], one at least of which is free from spines and irritant hairs.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  7. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  8. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  9. Howes. F. N. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Faber

    ↩1↩2

  10. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2

  11. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2

  12. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

    ↩1↩2↩3

  13. Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-520-00072-2

    ↩1↩2

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