Brown-spine Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia phaeacantha (oh-POON-tee-ah fay-ah-KAN-thah)

Family: Cactaceae Native Shrub (3-15 ft)

Tulip prickly pear is a member of the cactus family (Cactaceae) and is native to the Central and Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. It forms dense thickets and is found in abandoned pastures or old fields. The thickets can measure up to 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. It is an erect and sprawling shrub. The specific epithet, phaeacantha , means 'dark thorns.' It originated from the Greek words, phaios , meaning ''dark or dusky" and akantha, meaning "thorn." This plant hybridizes easily with other prickly pears leading to confusion in naming the plants found in horticulture. The tulip prickly pear requires full sun and well-drained, fasting drying, sandy, or rocky soils. It requires minimal watering and low humidity. It is also heat, poor soils, and drought tolerant. This plant is intolerant to overwatering or soggy soils. It can be propagated by stem cuttings. It is slow growing and multiplies when the modified stems, called pads, drop off and root. This is the easiest way to propagate this plant. Just dry the pad for a few days then lay it down so the cut portion is in contact with the soil. The tulip prickly pear is erect and sprawling and has long chains of flat oval-shaped pads that are in lines of three that appear to be standing on edge. The young pads are bluish-green and then become grayish-green to dark green, and are reddish when under stress. Each stem pad is glabrous, obovate, and may measure up to 8 inches wide and 12 inches long. There may be one spine, or 2 to 4 spines clustered together. The central spines are 1 to 3 inches long, pointing downward, and whitish to tan to brown. The radial spines are shorter and are yellowish. The glochids are yellowish to yellow-brown and have dense tufts. The flowers are yellow with a red base, up to 2 inches long and 3 inches wide, and bloom in April to May. They are followed by fleshy reddish-purple fruits during the summer. The pads function as a moisture reservoir that can be accessed during drought. When they are full, they are thick and greenish-gray. However, during a period of drought they slowly shrink, become wrinkled and turn a dull gray/brown color. The next rain will quickly repair the damage. Because they could be a source of moisture for any wandering animal, the plant has devised a means to protect this valuable resource: spines and bristles (glochids). The glochids on the stem pads are what you have to look out for. They are tiny and barbed and can puncture the skin leading to significant skin irritation. Always wear leather gloves when you are dealing with this or any other cacti. This plant is attractive to pollinators and small mammals. Consider using the tulip prickly pear in a rock garden or containers on your patio. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Monitor for scale and mealybugs . Overwatering can cause stem and root rot. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course created in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Opuntia .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 57 attributes.