Eastern Prickly Pear (SPC Florida Plants )

Eastern Prickly Pear

Opuntia humifusa

Summary ³

Prickly pear cactus is found in sandy pinelands, open dry woods, dunes, and pastures. Depending upon the species, prickly pear plants can grow from one to 20 feet in height. They form irregular clumps or shrub-like mounds with a very coarse texture. Our local species only grow to 1½ feet in height and one clump rarely spreads much more than a few feet across. The leaves of prickly pear cactus are inconspicuous, however the plate-like sections of the stem are the photosynthetic organs. These plate-like sections are actually modified stems and reach a length of 2 to 6 inches. Stem sections remain green with age and are covered with 3-inch-long spines. Very minute spines are in the numerous areoles. The larger spines are quite painful, however the minute spines cause a lot of irritation if they are captured in clothing or attach to the skin surface. Prickly pear will bloom for several weeks in the spring and summer, but an individual flower lasts only for one day. Flowers are cup-shaped and yellow or sometimes orange to red. Blooms appear on the outermost pads and measure 2 to 3 inches across. The showy berries may reach a length of 2 to 3 inches and are reddish-purple at maturity. When ripe during mid to late summer, people can enjoy eating prickly pears - but first the spines and glochids must be removed.

Sources and Credits

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Ecosystem	Coastal uplands, Interior uplands
Fruit	Red
Flowers	Red, Yellow, Orange

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