PlantFiles: Smooth Mountain Prickly Pear, Indian Fig, Mission Cactus, Tuberous Prickly Pear, Nopal
Opuntia ficus-indica

There is a great confusion as to the different varieties of opuntia. This Opuntia Ficus-Indica is ONLY hardy to about 20 degrees. There are other Opuntia species that are much more tolerant of freezing temperatures, two of them being native to michigan (Opuntia Compressa and Opuntia Fragillis). Those growing Opuntia outside of zone 8 and higher, are growing a different species of opuntia, NOT Opuntia Ficus-Carica.

Not much to add based on other comments but I have found that this has to be the most hearty plant I have. I had some kids in the neighborhood smash mine down to a pile of mush with a stick and the thing just came back within a few months.

It is also about the easiest thing to transplant in the world.... just stick a broken off pad that has dried up for a week in the ground and there it goes. Survives in PHX without any water but I usually give it a little each month just to keep the pads full and lush. A terrific plant with little to no waist and zero maintenance... just be careful as it grows fast!

This variety ( opuntia ficus-indica) has very edible pads and fruit. You will still need to clean off the tiny spines (versus long spines) off with a vegetable peeler.

The fruit have largish seeds, slightly smaller than a nasturtium seed.

Not all verieties of opuntia are edible, however.

The correct term in Spanish for the fruit is tuna (plural tunas) and the word is pronounced just like we pronounce in English the word for the fish; no ~ is present in the spelling or pronunciation.

The fruit can be eaten out of hand, fresh, or cooked into jelly or jam.

To prepare for eating, the pads are cleaned of any spines with a knife or vegetable peeler, then can be cooked whole or cut into julienne strips (this is the more common way, rather than
cooking / eating whole pads.)

The raw julienne strips are combined with sliced red onions, chopped cilantro, chopped resh tomatoes, and lime juice with salt to taste to make a nice fresh salad.

You may also parboil the julienned strips and stew with a chile & tomato salsa, or stew with chiles and tomatillos, or scramble with eggs and load into tortillas to make tacos.

Nopalitos (cactus pads) are a very traditional Mexican lenten food.

They are full of fiber and have a high water content. They are low in carbs and calories and have many nutrients.

They are also a traditional folk remedy for diabetes.

This cactus is not as hardy as listed. The pads will suffer damage below 20F, but the plant itself usually recovers. It suffers more from wind damage than frost damage in this climate.

This is a very useful cactus. It looks nice as a landscape plant but can be use as barrier fence as well. Both the fruits and young pads are edible. The ripe fruits are sweet and juicy, but the seed are very hard. The pads has a slimy texture similar to okras, but has a slight sour citrus taste to it.

If you can pick the new pads when they still have the leaves on them (young and forming), then there will be no spines or glochids on them, only the leaves, which can be rubbed off under running water. No need to peel if picked young enough.

BTW- this species is ONLY cold hardy to zone 8b.

Other synonyms include: Cactus opuntia, Platyopuntia vulgaris, Cactus compressus, Opuntia compressa [illegitimate] & Platyopuntia cordobensis.

When I lived in South Carolina, along the borderline of North Carolina as well...these cacti grew like mad! My husband would cut them back and throw the pieces over the fence into a pasture. He was hoping the pieces would die and we looked a few months later and they had continued growing and spreading, crossing the low part of the fence and into his lawn. All he could say was " you just can't kill the darn stuff! ". They were beauties every summer. He had a friend who would want the fruit part of this plant. I had no idea one could eat those things. His friend said they were good, I did not try it! I have posted a picture of our plant, still to be reviewed.

San Antonio, Tx.
The tuberous prickly pear, native to Mexico and the southwestern regions of the United States and also found in South Africa, Spain, and Italy, is a trunk-forming segmented evergreen cactus which can grow to to 15 feet tall and to 10 feet wide. However, I have never seen any this large in my locale. They are usually up to 6 feet tall and wide. The large, oblong-shaped, pads have few spines. The old pads form woody stems.

Yellow or orange cup-shaped flowers are produced on the perimeter of the pads in spring or early summer. It performs best in full or reflected sun, adapts to various types of soil that has good drainage and is drought tolerant. The pads shrivel during severe drought which indicates a need for supplemental water; otherwise, there is no need to water the plant once established. It is hardy to the mid 20s (some sources list 15 degrees) with low 20s causing some damage to the pads.

Nopales is the Spanish name for prickly pear cactus pads, considered a vegetable. They have been a food source in Mexico for hundreds of years and have recently gained popularity in the United States as well. The pads have extremely high amounts of vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, fiber, and vitamin A, but low levels of protein. The small, new pads are tender and good to eat once debarbed of any spines. Napoles are a little bit tart and taste somewhat like green peppers (others say they taste more like tart green beans or tart asparagus). Nopales can be purchased in some grocery stores especially in the southwest and always in Mexican markets. Of course, they can also be gathered from the prickly pear cactus itself if available.

Nopalitos are nopales diced or cut into strips and are available pickled or packed in water in cans. Used in salads, omelets, casseroles and soups, as a grilled dish and as a pan fry after being rolled in corn meal, they may be prepared in a variety of other ways. Candied nopales, acitrónes, are available in cans or jars packed in sugar syrup.

Native Americans made a poultice from napoles to put on bruises and sprains and to dress wounds. They made an ointment for burns and stings. After they boiled and crushed the pads, they placed the gooey juice in mortar or whitewash to increase its adhesiveness. When repairing the San Xavier Mission Church near Tucson, modern cement was used, but failed to do the job because the building could not “breathe.” Later, Indian workers mixed the mucilage from prickly pear pads with a mud mix and succeeded in the secomd attempt at preserving it. To increase the hardiness of candles, pad juice has been boiled with tallow. The sap has been used in the production of commercial alcohol.

Once the bloom has faded, the approximately 3.5 inch long pear-shaped edible fruit called tunas are formed. At first they are green and when fully ripe, they are a reddish- purple. They are eaten by deer, turkeys, sheep, javelinas, goats, cattle and a wide variety of other animals including humans. A delicious jelly can be made from the tuna's juice. The juice can be mixed with 7-Up or Sprite, pineapple juice and, if desired, alcoholic beverages to create a pleasant tasting purple-colored punch. Some Native American Indians thought a tea brewed from the tuna would cure gallstones. In addition, the tunas are used to make a majenta die.

For more than 150 years in Texas and northern Mexico, the prickly pear cactus (pads and tunas) has been used as emergency food for cattle and other grazing livestock. I can personally attest to the fact that cattle just love it. I started a plant outside of the field that is opposite my yard. The cattle (only 5) escaped because the electric gate became stuck while open. Instead of eating my plants like they usually did when they escaped, they headed for the then huge prickly pear cactus plant. When they were rounded up and placed back in their own "yard", the tunas were gone as well as most of the pads. I was really upset at first, but then I was happy that they had not eaten the other plants in my yard. The plant grows so fast, it will recuperate in time.

I trasplanted one from Oklahoma to CT, and with winter mulch, and planting on south side(sunny side) of house, it flourishes! Had many transplants from cuttings -dozens, and they grow fast.

its a fasinating low matinence catcus hardy to cold winters. it is also edible but be very careful skining it

It seems that every old adobe house in California is accompanied by an Opuntia ficus-indica. The young pads (nopales) and ripe fruits (tunas - that's an n with a ~ over it) are edible. These plants have also been used as a living "barbed wire" fence.