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Prickly Pear Cactus

Prickly pear cactus is a common name for plants in the Opuntia genus. That genus contains from 150 to 300 species depending on the source. All are originally native to the Americas, ranging from Canada through all of South America.

The Barbary Fig

The most common species of prickly pear is called the Barbary fig (Opuntia ficus-indica).

The original native range of the Barbary fig was arid and semi-arid areas in Mexico. Its fruit is high in vitamin C, and explorers in the late 15th and early 16th centuries used it to prevent scurvy. Cut pads placed on the ground rapidly begin to take root. That resulted in its spread. It is now native to the southern United States, the Mediterranean, South Africa, and Australia. Anywhere with well drained soil, full sun, warm temperatures, and protection from frost is suitable for it.

The flat pad-like structures called cladodes are modified stems. That is where photosynthesis occurs. The plant has no leaves. The cladodes also store a considerable amount of water that helps the plants survive during drought conditions. Buds sprout from the rims of the cladodes and eventually become blossoms. Blossoming runs from spring through mid-summer, though individual blossoms only last about a day.

Most Barbary fig blossoms are yellow, though orange and red blossoms are common, too. They range from 2 to 4 inches in diameter.

What look like petals are really tepals, petal-like structures that are a blend of petals and calyx sepals. There are no fixed number of them. Blossoms typically have from 15 to more than 30 of them.

The greenish object in the center is the female organ, the pistil. The yellowish objects surrounding it are the pollen-bearing male stamens. They are sensitive to touch. If an insect seeking to draw from a blossom's nectar lands on them, the stamens rapidly curl inward, helping to dust the insects' bodies with pollen. The blossoms can self-fertilize, but cross pollination with other plants produces more fruit.

The most common pollinators are bees. Wasps, ants, beetles and butterflies contribute, too. In some habitats, birds play a role.

Fruit called tunas develop and ripen from late summer through October.

The interior of a tunas is soft and juicy, similar to a ripe melon. The pulp can be eaten with a spoon. Some people make it into jams. It contains a mix of tiny immature and mature seeds, typically ranging from 200 to 300 of them per fruit. Some sources say the range can be as many as 400 seeds.

arbary fig tunas are loaded with nutrients besides vitamin C. Among them are dietary fiber, magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, and antioxidants. The pads and blossoms are edible, too. The pads (cladodes) are called nopales when used for culinary purposes. Harvested when young, they are sliced, grilled, and sautéed for salads, tacos, and soups. The blossoms are added to salads, used as a garnish, or brewed into herbal teas.

Another commercial use has to do with a tiny scale insect, Dactylopius coccus, or cochineal. They are parasites whose existence relies almost exclusively on prickly pear cacti. For commercial purposes, Barbary fig plants are preferred. The females spend their entire lives in one spot where they tap into the interior of the pad for sustenance. When the insects are harvested and dried, they are used to produce a brilliant red dye.

The whitish appearance is caused by a waxy material the insects secrete for protection from the sun. It is removed when the insects are killed in hot water or steam.

South American natives have harvested cochineal insects for their dye for fabrics and art for over 2,000 years. One of its usages was to produce the red-colored fabric that British soldiers wore during America's Revolutionary War. Today, the dye is widely used for food coloring and cosmetics. 

When Barbary fig seeds are cold pressed, an oil is extracted that has numerous uses. A luxury ingredient in the cosmetics industry, it has antioxidant and anti-aging properties. Other uses are for biofuels, wellness supplements, and natural food.

Young Barbary fig pads grow directly from the ground or sprout from each other, but when the plants are 3 to 5 years old, they begin to grow a trunk. They can grow to be as much as 12 to 23 feet tall and are sometimes called trees. 

Some areas use Barbary fig plants as natural fencing for livestock.

Mexico is the world's leader in growing Barbary fig plants for commercial purposes. Some other leaders are Brazil, Tunisia, and Italy. Though not a leader in that regard, Japan, too, has a commercial Barbary fig growing industry. It is centered in Kasugai City in Aichi Prefecture. About 80% of Japan's commercial production of cacti and succulents is grown there. Because of that, Kasugai has been nicknamed the Cactus City. Japan's word for all prickly pear species is uchiwa saboten, the literal meaning of which is "hand-fan cactus" because the shape of the pads slightly resembles uchiwa, Japan's hand-held fans.

Other Prickly Pear Species

Some prickly pear species are well adapted to habitats that Barbary figs could not survive in. The Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa) is one of them. It rarely grows taller than a foot, has smaller blossoms than the Barbary fig, has much more prominent thorns, and usually survives well through cold winters.

Another cold-tolerant prickly pear species is the Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia polyacantha). It too has prominent thorns and stays low to the ground. It can survive temperatures as low as −50 °F.

One of the oddest-looking prickly pear cacti is the Florida Semaphore Cactus "tree" (Opuntia corallicola).