Hardy Edibles

Cactaceae

hairspine prickly pear

Opuntia polyacantha

hairspine prickly pear

Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA — CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

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9

Survives zone 3 through 9

Prickly-pear fruit sweet and seedy; young pads as a vegetable. ⚠ Glochids.

Hardiness
Zone 3 to 9
Habit
Groundcover
Edible part
Seed, Fruit
Ripens
Late summer–autumn
Mature size
Low/spreading; EXCELLENT in containers
Light
Full sun (open-ground desert/glade)
Soil pH
6.5–8.0 (neutral–alkaline, sharp drainage)
Environment
Temperate
Status
Wild
Years to fruit
2–3 yrs
Pollination
Self-fertile