Ohio Native Plant Natural Range
To view the natural range of Opuntia humifusa visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website.
Native Plant of the Year - LEAP (Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity) - Native Plant of the Year 2017. Eastern prickly Pear Cactus is the only native cactus located in the northeast area of the United States
Cultivation Information Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
Height - Fairly Flat - 5 to 6 inches when matureFlower Color - Yellow or ReddishBlooms - June - July
Sun - Full to Filtered - very poor success when raised in shady area. We transplanted the original plant in the middle of the growing season from a shady area to one with full sun. It did fine, but waiting for a cool day is always a wise idea.
Rock Gardens - Wonderful addition to rock gardensHardy Zone - 4 to 9 Perennial Soil - DrypH - 5.0 to 6.0
Glochids - Are barbed spines which require one to wear gloves when gardening near Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
Family - Cactaceae
Sun - Full to Filtered - very poor success when raised in shady area. We transplanted the original plant in the middle of the growing season from a shady area to one with full sun. It did fine, but waiting for a cool day is always a wise idea.
Rock Gardens - Wonderful addition to rock gardensHardy Zone - 4 to 9 Perennial Soil - DrypH - 5.0 to 6.0
Glochids - Are barbed spines which require one to wear gloves when gardening near Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
Family - Cactaceae
Propagation Notes Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
I have attempted to propagate Prickly Pear Cactus from seed; success rate was limited, growth of seedlings was extremely slow. I had much better results allowing the colony to establish itself, then breaking off a pad and transplanting it.
Teeny Tiny Seedlings
Choose the Location of Your Cactus Garden Cautiously!
Plan carefully where you locate your prickly Pear Cactus garden! Our site is almost perfect: sunny and well drained, the plants are thriving and flowering. What is the problem, then? The patch, which was originally 3 to 4 feet from the driveway, has expanded considerably; making it very dangerous to load our Husky into the car on the right side of the driveway. Figuring out how to remove a cactus spine from the foot pad of a 45 lbs retired sled-dog is something I would rather avoid. Our solution, load Arcadia on the left side.
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