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Opuntia scheeri - Prickly Pear

Opuntia scheeri
Opuntia, Prickly Pear

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Hardy, up to approximately -18°C (1°F) without protection but in well-drained soil, resistant to snow, heat, and drought. This imposing prickly pear, with an arborescent habit, produces large and heavily armed yellow prickle-covered pads. It is also adorned with pretty pink flowers when they bloom, turning yellow, and then with red-purple fruits covered in prickles. A very beautiful variety, essential in any dry garden!
Flower size
5 cm
Height at maturity
1.20 m
Spread at maturity
1.50 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -18°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil
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Best planting time March, September to October
Recommended planting time February to April, August to September
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Flowering time May to July
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Description

The Opuntia scheeri is an excellent variety of prickly pear that is both highly ornamental and resistant to cold and drought. This beautiful shrub, or even tree-like plant, displays large green pads adorned with a multitude of small acute yellow pricks that give it a golden sheen. In late spring, it is adorned with delicate pink flowers that turn yellow, which produce small round fruits of a lovely pink-purple color, covered in yellow pricks. Hardy prickly pears are cultivated outdoors, in open ground and away from high traffic areas. They thus express without hindrance the spirit that inhabits them, that of the desert landscapes of North America.

 

The Opuntia scheeri, a close relative of the Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus indica), is a succulent plant devoid of true leaves from the cactus family. This particularly robust botanical species is native to arid regions of Mexico. An adult specimen will reach a minimum height of 1.50 m (5ft) and spread laterally over at least 1.20 m (some mature specimens can reach several meters in favourable climates). Its growth is rather slow, with the plant producing only one new generation of pads per year. The vegetation consists of a short 'trunk' that lignifies over time and branches out, developing pads or cladodes that are stacked on top of each other. They are flat, fleshy, elongated oval in shape, and can measure up to 30 cm (12in) in length. The plant tolerates wind and snow well. The green surface of the pads is adorned with fine bright yellow pricks, which turn straw-colored over time, as well as tiny but formidable pricks called glochidia, gathered in small round tufts, which are very dangerous when handling the plant. Flowering occurs from May to July, earlier or later depending on the region. A few flowers appear on the edges of the pads, mainly towards their tips. Shaped like rounded cups, they are composed of petals with a fine and slightly translucent texture, which change from salmon pink when they first bloom to bright yellow when fully open. They give way to small globose fruits measuring 2.5 to 3 cm (1in) in diameter, abundantly covered in pricks and glochidia, turning pink-red when ripe. While they are edible, they are less tasty than those of the Prickly Pear.

  

Cultivable in many regions that are not too humid in summer, this astonishing cactus is hardy down to -18°C (1°F) without protection, but in perfectly well-drained, gravelly, rocky or sandy soils, including backfill soil filled with rubble at the base of a wall. It naturally structures exotic or contemporary landscapes, in a large rockery, on a dry slope, or at the edges of a dry garden. It can also be used to reinforce a defensive hedge. It will find its place among hardy agaves, Nolinas, and arborescent Euphorbias. Pair it with fairly hardy columnar cacti such as Cleistocactus strausii or Cylindropuntia imbricata. It should be kept away from high traffic areas and children due to its formidable spines.

 

Opuntia scheeri - Prickly Pear in pictures

Opuntia scheeri - Prickly Pear (Flowering) Flowering
Opuntia scheeri - Prickly Pear (Foliage) Foliage
Opuntia scheeri - Prickly Pear (Plant habit) Plant habit

Flowering

Flower colour salmon
Flowering time May to July
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 5 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.20 m
Spread at maturity 1.50 m
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Opuntia

Species

scheeri

Family

Cactaceae

Other common names

Opuntia, Prickly Pear

Origin

North America

Product reference150931

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Planting and care

Plant Opuntia scheeri in spring or early autumn, in full sun, or partial shade in hot and dry climates, in a preferably poor, rocky, limestone, sandy, but well-drained soils. It tolerates winter humidity in porous soil and cold, and appreciates dry, even arid soils in summer. It will withstand intense frost, down to about -18 °C. This species tolerates snow, but also spray, and can therefore be grown in mountain or coastal areas. It is not known to be susceptible to poests, apart from scale insects.

Cultivation substrate: 3/4 potting soil + 1/4 garden soil + organic fertilizer for potted plants. Sandy, very rocky soil for open ground cultivation.

Propagation is easy: take a pad at a junction, place it on a cactus soil substrate for a few days, until a callus forms. Then plant the base of the cutting a little deeper into the soil and water regularly. The plant will not flower or bear fruit before the age of 3.

Handle your cacti with gloves and protective goggles.

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Planting period

Best planting time March, September to October
Recommended planting time February to April, August to September

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Border, Free-standing, Hedge, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -18°C (USDA zone 7a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Well-drained, poor.

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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