Prickly pear

Prickly pear: how big does it get?

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) grows as a Shrub and reaches roughly 4.2 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 4 m. Growth is fast.

Prickly pear: what site does it need?

Prickly pear tolerates light shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt. Soil moisture should be in the range Desert – moist. The pH may lie between 6 and 8.5.

Prickly pear: is it hardy?

Prickly pear is listed as hardy in zone 8–11 and survives normal winters outdoors there.

Prickly pear: will it grow in Central Europe?

Prickly pear is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.

Prickly pear: when does it flower?

In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate it flowers from May to June.

Prickly pear: when is it harvested?

In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate the fruit ripens from August to February.

Prickly pear: when does it start cropping, and how much?

Prickly pear first crops after 3 years. A mature plant gives up to 10 kg a year, in cultivation up to 15 t per hectare. Figures assume a good site; variety, soil and climate shift them considerably.

Prickly pear: is it poisonous?

Individual parts of Prickly pear are noted as mildly problematic — the plant does not count as poisonous. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone, only on a confident identification.

Prickly pear: what is it used for?

Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 6/10, Medicinal 4/10, Other uses 6/10.