World Plants

Opuntia ficus-indica (Sweet Prickly Pear, Barbary Fig, Cactus Pear, Indian Fig, Indian Fig Prickly Pear, Mission Cactus, Mission Prickly Pear, Panini, Prickly Pear, Prickly Pear Cactus, Prickly-pear, Smooth Mountain Prickly Pear, Smooth Prickly Pear, Spineless Cactus)

Family	Cactaceae
Genus	Opuntia
Species	ficus-indica
Synonyms	Cactus ficus-indica Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 468. 1753; C. opuntia Linnaeus; Opuntia compressa J. F. Macbride; O. vulgaris Miller
Category	Perennials, Tropicals
Origin	Native to Mexico.
Ethnobotanical Uses Disclaimer	Used for food, medicine, livestock feed, fencing, an ornamental, and an indirect source of dye.

USDA Hardiness Zone	8b - 10b
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone	Requires cool season protection under glass.
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness Zone	H4 - H1c
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)	(-9.4) - 1.7
Temperature (°F)	15 - 35
Height	3 - 6 m, and trunk diameter is 30-45 cm.
Spread	1 m
Growth	Medium
Flowering Period	April, May, June, July

Shape	Upright spreading.
Landscape	Among potted succulent collections, as a potted patio or indoor plant, in rock gardens as a tree-shaped succulent or as a specimen.
Propagation	By stem cuttings (rooting pads) and seed.
Cultivation	Grow in full sun in gravelly, dry, well-draining loose soil.
Pests	None known. Rot may occur if soil is too wet.
Notable Specimens	The University of Alberta Botanic Garden, Devon, Alberta, Canada. Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America.
Habitat	Dry slopes, plains and rocky outcroppings.
Bark/Stem Description	Highly spiny, slightly woody and robust succulent bark. Spines resemble long thick hairs and cover the entire bark surface.
Leaf Description	Fleshy succulent bodies with short, thin hair-like spines.
Flower Description	Showy cup-shaped blooms with 10 - 20 pinnate-forked petals arranged in a loose rosette formation.
Fruit Description	Oblong-ovate prickly pears borne after blooms on succulent bodies.
Colour Description	Sage green succulent bodies with silvery-white spines. Tan-brown bark. Red to crimson red blooms. Dull dark reddish-brown prickly pears.
Texture Description	Coarse.