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Resources < Wildlife Habitats < Native Plants < Native Plant Database < Opuntia humifusa
Pricklypear is a native Georgia cactus and survives our rainy, humid weather just fine as long as it has excellent drainage. If you have clay soil in your garden, you might want to plant your pricklypear in a raised bed heavily amended with sand and compost; otherwise, you'll have problems with rot. Liatris, pineweed, sundrops, coreopsis, winged sumac, broomsedge, and spiderwort make fine companion plants.
Pricklypear is a must-have for the edible garden. The pads, which taste similar to green beans, can be peeled, chopped, sautéed, and stirred into omelets or diced and added raw to salads. The melony-tasting fruits, rich in vitamin C, can be eaten raw or used to make ruby-red jellies, jams, syrups, and candies. Wear heavy gloves or use a thick wad of newspaper when harvesting and peeling any part of this plant; some individuals have inch-long spines, and all pricklypears have small, barbed, hair-like bristles ("glochids") that are almost invisible but can easily penetrate the skin and cause extreme discomfort and irritation.
Cactaceae (Cactus Family)
A native cactus with flattened, segmented stems armed with bristles and sometimes with long spines. The stem segments, or "pads," are evergreen and shaped like ping-pong paddles. Three-inch waxy yellow flowers appear in late spring. After the flowers fade, two- to three-inch cylindrical fruits are formed; they ripen from green to pinkish purple in fall.
Grows one to two feet high and three to four feet wide.
Low-growing, often ground-hugging.
Moderate.
Full sun.
For best results, plant in sandy soil with excellent drainage. If you have heavy clay soil, plant your pricklypear in a raised bed. Pricklypear is drought tolerant and a terrific choice for xeriscaping projects.
Assets include evergreen thorny pads, an interesting zigzag form, brilliant cup-like yellow flowers in late spring, and egg-shaped magenta fruits in fall.
Pricklypear is the perfect addition to a rock garden or granite outcrop. It adds great color and texture to the front of any sunny border.
Hummingbirds and bees visit the flowers.
Found in rocky or sandy areas in Georgia's Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and mountains. Often associated with granite outcrops.
The pads root easily--just break one off and stick it directly into the ground to start a new plant.
Text and photo by Leslie Kimel, Georgia Wildlife Federation
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Pricklypear
