Opuntia atrispina - Prickly Pear

The Opuntia astrispina is a relatively hardy cactus with medium growth, in a well-drained soil, that will charm you with its spring flowering in changing colors, absolutely delightful. This relative of the prickly pear forms a fairly low but well-branched bush, composed of flattened branches commonly called circular pads, with a bluish color, which bear short white pricks with red and black bases on their periphery. Its flowering is early and delicately multicolored in shades of cream, yellow, salmon, pink, and red. It is followed by the production of beautiful red fruits, edible but not very tasty. Surprising in a minimalist setting, delightful against a backdrop of rocks and blue sky, it naturally structures exotic, contemporary, and arid slopes.

The Opuntia astrispina is a succulent shrub plant devoid of true leaves, from the cactus family. This botanical species is native to a small area of Texas and its adjacent region in Mexico, where it thrives in arid environments. An adult plant measures approximately 50-60 cm (20-24in) in height and spreads at least 1 m (3ft) in favorable conditions. The densely branched vegetation is composed of a "trunk" that becomes woody over time, dividing into erect flattened branches, commonly called pads, and named articles or cladodes by botanists. The pads measure 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) wide by 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8in) long and are obovate to circular in shape. Their surface, bluish green-gray in color, is smooth. The pricks are only present on their margin. They are short and sturdy, white with red and black bases, surrounded by tiny pricks called glochides, gathered in small tufts, very dangerous when handling. Flowering takes place in early May depending on the climate. Several flowers appear on the periphery of the pads, sometimes assembled in bouquets. Their color changes successively from white to cream-white, sometimes touched with green, pale yellow, peach, salmon, and pink before becoming reddish. They measure approximately 5 cm (2in) in diameter. The flowers give way to rounded fruits, also heavily covered in glochides, which turn purple at maturity. They are edible, but less tasty than those of the prickly pear, the Opuntia ficus indica.

Cultivable in not too cold regions, this "cactus" is hardy up to -12°C (10.4°F) without protection, but in a perfectly drained, stony, rocky, or sandy soil. It is a good plant for a southern garden without watering. It will find its place in a large rock garden or gravel bed, where its sharp silhouette will stand out beautifully in a mineral and austere setting. It can be associated with other plants that thrive in dry soil with a more classic appearance, such as giant fennel, large laurel-leaved rockroses (Cistus laurifolius), and tree-like euphorbias (E.mellifera or dendroides). Planted as a dense hedge, the Opuntia astrispina will create a low defensive hedge. It should be kept away from paths and children, due to its formidable spines, as well as the transparent, almost invisible to the naked eye, pricks that penetrate our skin with disconcerting ease and are difficult to remove.