Prickly Pear
Opuntia humifusa
Prickly pear's bright yellow flowers sometimes have a red center. (Photo courtesy pwinn47/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)
After blooming, prickly pear produces fleshy, red, cone-shaped fruit capsules that contain seeds. (Photo courtesy slager/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)
Prickly pear has thick, green, flattened pads covered with needle-like spines. Above, prickly pear grows in late autumn at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Anne Arundel County, Md., on Dec. 3, 2010. (Photo by Alicia Pimental/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Prickly pear is a native perennial cactus with large, showy yellow flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer.
Appearance
The prickly pear has bright yellow flowers that are 2 to 3 inches in diameter and sometimes have a red center. These flowers bloom May to July. The cactus' thick, green, flattened pads are covered with needle-like spines. It grows to 6 inches tall.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
After blooming, the plant produces fleshy, red, cone-shaped fruit capsules that contain seeds. Fruit capsules turn reddish-brown as they mature. Animals such as birds, raccoons and opossums eat the fruit capsules and spread the plant’s seeds. New seedlings grow in spring. Prickly pear can also reproduce asexually when pads root into the ground.
Did You Know?
- The prickly pear is also known as devil’s tongue. It is the only native cactus that is widespread in the eastern United States.
- When in bloom, it attracts bees.
- In some places, people eat prickly pear pads and fruit capsules.
Sources and Additional Information
- PLANTS Profile for Opuntia humifusa – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Weed Identification Guide: Prickly Pear – Virginia Tech
- Opuntia humifusa – U.S. Forest Service
- Eastern Prickly Pear – Dave’s Garden
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Size
6 inches tall
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Habitat
Found in dry, sandy or rocky areas and grows in full sun.
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Range
Grows throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Status
Stable
