Opuntia jamaicensis - Jamaica prickly pear

Opuntia jamaicensis is a compact cactus of tropical origin with some frost tolerance. It forms a small, branched shrub as wide as it is tall, whose pads are usually a beautiful, bright green. Its pale yellow flowers bloom in spring and summer, then develop into ornamental, edible red fruits. It is very drought-resistant and can withstand mild winters when planted in the ground. Elsewhere, it should be grown in a pot to overwinter under cover, or be kept permanently in a conservatory, as it won't mind summer heat.

Opuntia is a member of the Cactaceae family, which is fascinating to collectors, with nearly 90 genera of the most varied shapes, ranging from spherical, as in the famous mother-in-law’s cushions (Echinocactus), to torch cacti and many others. Opuntia is one of the major genera of the family with nearly 250 species, the best known of which is probably the prickly pear, originally from Mexico, whose fruits are eaten in the Mediterranean basin, where it has become naturalised. Nicknamed prickly pear cactus, Opuntia is easily recognisable by its distinctive form, developing in the shape of pads that branch spontaneously. In these cacti, the pads are not leaves but stems transformed into flattened segments (or cylindrical ones in the related genus Cylindropuntia), which are called cladodes. They are chlorophyll-bearing organs that carry out photosynthesis instead of leaves. The pads bear areoles, which are modified buds, and are covered in glochids. These tiny spines, also present in spineless species (lacking ‘large spines’), are very difficult to remove from the skin. The areoles also produce one or more highly visible spines, and therefore are less insidious than the glochids. 
Opuntia jamaicensis is, as its species name indicates, native to Jamaica, with its tropical climate. Nevertheless, this prickly pear can withstand brief frosts of around -7°C under very good conditions (dry cold in well-drained soil). In its natural habitat, it grows in dry open savannahs. It forms a well-branched plant of modest size, usually 60 to 80 cm in height and a similar width. The pads are obovate in shape, more or less elongated, with a narrowed base, and average 10 cm long by 5 cm wide. Sometimes tinged grey-green, they are most often a beautiful, fairly dark, deep green and their surface is satiny to glossy. Their areoles have glochids, and some also bear one to three, or even four, spines. These are approximately 2 to 2.5 cm long, white to golden, and more often present on the upper part of the pad. From May onwards, the short-lived flowers appear, regularly renewing until July-August. They are pale yellow with a heart of pale yellow stamens and white anthers; they measure 4 to 6 cm in diameter and develop on the edges of the pads. They subsequently turn into very decorative, edible red fruits, to be handled with care as they are armed with glochids like the pads.

Opuntia jamaicensis will appeal to collectors in the south, where it can be planted outdoors. Elsewhere, lovers of prickly pear cactus should choose much hardier species, such as Opuntia engelmanii, to create a dry garden with an exotic feel. O. jamaicensis is also of interest for conservatory cultivation, due to its small size and its very high resistance to drought and heat. On the Mediterranean coast, its distinctive form will fit perfectly alongside the massive rosettes of Agaves, the tufts of slender leaves of Dasylirions or the broader ones of Yuccas, and all the succulent plants evocative of warm lands.