Opuntia humifusa
vegetablePrickly pear (Opuntia humifusa, the cold-hardy Eastern species) is a low, sprawling paddle cactus, surprisingly hardy to about zone 4, grown for two foods: the flat green pads (nopales), eaten as a vegetable once the spines are removed, and the sweet, ruby-red fruits (tunas) that follow its big, satiny yellow flowers. The mucilaginous pad sap is also used on skin much like aloe. Tough, drought-proof, and architecturally striking, it asks only for sun and sharp drainage, slowly forming a spreading patch of paddles that flower beautifully in summer and fruit in late summer to fall.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 21 days
Harvest
~365 days
Difficulty
easy
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
Spacing
24-36 in. apart
Planting Depth
Root pads on or just under the surface
Soil pH
6.0-7.5
Soil Type
Sandy, gritty, sharply draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4 – 11
When to Fertilize
None needed
Fertilizer
None; prefers lean soil
Prickly pear needs full sun and sandy, gritty, sharply drained soil - it rots in wet or heavy ground. The easiest way to start it is to lay a severed pad on its side or set it a couple of inches into the soil and let it root over a few weeks; it can also be grown from seed, more slowly. Space plants 2 to 3 ft apart, as the patch spreads. Water sparingly once established; it is extremely drought-tolerant and needs no feeding. Handle it with thick gloves and tongs - besides the obvious spines, the pads carry tiny barbed glochids that lodge in skin. Cold-hardy species shrivel and lie flat in winter, then plump up in spring.
Direct sow
Apr 29
Projected first harvest
Apr 29
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
No data
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
White cottony patches on the pads hide the cochineal insect - scrape or hose them off and prune out badly infested pads
The main killer - plant only in gritty, sharply drained soil and water sparingly, never letting it sit wet
Harvest young, tender pads in spring and summer when they are about palm-sized and still bright and flexible, cutting them off with tongs and a knife; carefully scrape or burn off all spines and glochids before cooking them like a green bean or pepper. Pick the fruits when fully colored deep red and slightly soft in late summer to fall, again wearing gloves, then singe or scrub off the glochids before peeling. Both pads and fruit must be de-spined before use.
Prickly pear gives two foods: the pads (nopales), a mild, slightly tart, mucilaginous vegetable high in fiber and vitamin C eaten in eggs, salads, and tacos, and the sweet red fruit (tunas), juicy and full of antioxidants, eaten fresh or made into juice, syrup, and jelly. The pad gel is also used on skin. Both parts must have their spines and tiny glochids removed first.
Handle with care. Both the pads and the fruit are covered in tiny barbed spines (glochids) that lodge in skin - use tongs and thick gloves, and singe or carefully peel off all the glochids before eating.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.