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Prickly Pear Cactus

(40 customer reviews)

Scientific Name: Opuntia

Common Name: Prickly Pear Cactus

Overview: The prickly pear species is mainly popular for its unique look, with flat, segmented stems on either side of the plant. It also has dotted spines on either side, making it one of the unique cactus species in the wild.  Opuntias also have thin hairs which may stick to skin and clothing and can be difficult to remove from the surface.

Arrives in 3 - 7 days.
Ships October 14th - October 21st.
$ 28.00
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Natural Root Stimulant

Natural probiotics, organics, and moisture control gel boost root growth. Invigorates existing plants, reduces transplant shock and accelerates establishment of new plants. This all natural product will not burn roots.

When Transplanting: Apply between new soil and plant so stimulant touches root ball.

For Existing Plants: Apply stimulant 2-3 inches below top of soil.

Use the proper amount for each pot size:
6″ Pot: ½ Pack
8-10″ Pot: 1 Pack
12-14″ pot: 2 Packs

Organic Indoor Soil Mix

Watch your indoor plants flourish with PlantVine’s Organic Indoor Soil. This is our best all-purpose mix for the demanding requirements of indoor potted plants. The perfect combination of quality ingredients provides the ideal amount of water retention, drainage and aeration for a wide variety of interior plants. This is an all natural product containing no artificial fertilizers or chemicals. Each bag contains 128 oz of soil.

Repotting:
6” pot into an 8-10” planter: About 1.5 bags
8-10” pot into a 12-14” planter: About 3 bags

Organic Outdoor Potting Mix

PlantVine’s Organic Outdoor Potting Soil is time-tested and proven to help your outdoor potted plants thrive. This is our best all-purpose mix, and a smart choice for a wide variety of outdoor plants, flowers and vegetables. The all natural ingredients are specially blended to provide excellent long term drainage, high air porosity and good water holding capability. This mix contains no artificial fertilizers or chemicals. Each bag contains 128 oz of soil.

Repotting:
6” pot into an 8-10” planter: About 1.5 bags
8-10” pot into a 12-14” planter: About 3 bags

Soluble Fertilizer

Great for indoor and outdoor potted plants, this fertilizer quickly dissolves in water, making fertilizing as quick and simple as possible. Just mix 1 teaspoon (scoop included) with 1 gallon of water, and water as normal. Makes 48 gallons.

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Recently Shipped Prickly Pear Cactus

Description

A Beautiful Cactus for all Skill Levels of Indoor Gardeners

The first recorded instances of the Prickly Pear Cactus date back as far as 1788. The prickly pear cactus is often connected to Governor Phillip at the Port Jackson. The plant was first introduced into the market to create a cochineal industry in the newly-created settlement. Most history experts believe that the prickly pear cactus species resulted from the drooping tree pear (Opuntia monacantha) plant with some other kind of pear in the locality. 

Caring for your Prickly Pear Cactus

Light

The Prickly Pear Cactus is highly light-resistant and can thrive easily in sunny and open locations. You do not have to worry about the plant rotting even under direct sunlight.

Soil

The Prickly Pear Cactus thrives in neutral soil and prefers alkaline-based surfaces. However, it is important to drain the soil properly, or the excess water can cause plant rotting.

Water

The Prickly Pear Cactus is highly drought-tolerant, so it’s best not to water the padding in the first month. Feel free to water the plant after only two or four weeks of planting the cactus during the first year of growth. Additionally, water the plant twice a month in the summers and once a month during the wintertime. However, the rainfall and dew are enough to sustain the plant in most areas.

Fertilizer

The balance of 10-10-10 fertilizers is best for the Prickly Pear cacti, which are newer. You can reduce the balance to 5-10-10 or even 0-10-10 if you have a water-soluble fertilizer for the cactus. The mix will promote more flower growth in the cactus, but cactus growers doing it for the pads can use nitrogen-rich fertilizers.

Common Issues

Even though the Prickly pear cactus is a house plant that does not require much care, one must ensure to keep it away from all sorts of pests and diseases.

Pests and Disease

The Prickly Pear does not show many diseases compared to other plant types. Its growth can hinder in case the plant does not have proper water drainage. Additionally, it may suffer from a problem called Phyllosticta; it is called the Prickly pear leaf spot disease and comes from the tiny spores from the phyllosticta fungus. This fungus colonizes the tissues of the plant.

There is no particular treatment for this disease, but if your plant gets it, you must keep it away from other decorative plants as they might get it too. However, you can remove the infected part and hope the plant can recover.

Pruning 

When pruning the Prickly pear cactus, you need to remember that it is not necessary. If you want, you can easily cut it back and separate the individual pads, which will help maintain both the shape and the size of the plant. To prune the plant, you can use tongs to first handle the pad and then use a knife to cut through it. You can use the same pads and plant them to get a new pruning prickly pear cactus.

Propagation

For the propagation of the Prickly pear cactus, you need to wait for a long time. Using the seed will take at least 3-4 years for the plant to grow and give you flowers and fruits. You need to keep the seed moist enough for it to germinate. However, if you propagate the plant using its pads, it will be much quicker for your plant to bloom and give you flowers.

Potting / Repotting

You can keep the cuttings and grow them any time you’d like. You need to transplant the Prickly pear cactus to the level where they are growing. If you plant them any deeper, it may cause root rot, which can damage your plant. It is best to handle the plant with extra care as the pads from the plants may break off. These plants tend to be heavy, so you can take all the help you can get.

When plotting the plant, use gloves, so you don’t end up hurting yourself. Do not touch the spine or the pricks as they can irritate your skin.

Additional information

Zone

10a, 10b, 11a, 9a, 9b

Sun Exposure

Partial Sun

Mature Height

12 ft – 20 ft

Spacing

6 ft – 8 ft

40 reviews for Prickly Pear Cactus

  1. Julie C. (verified owner) –

    Beautiful plant. Arrived healthy and with a wonderful price point.

  2. Bridget (verified owner) –

    Arrived quickly, carefully packaged, and just so beautiful and healthy. I’m a repeat customer, and I’m sure I will be back again!

  3. Lance Schlehuber (verified owner) –

    The plant was bigger than I expected and arrived in great condition. I am very happy with it and I would definitely buy from this company again.

  4. Karen Mills (verified owner) –

  5. MUYIWA (verified owner) –

    Damaged on arrival. Tip of the cactus stalk was damaged.
    not exactly as the picture for a medium size.

  6. Anonymous (verified owner) –

    Shipped well , did not come in the pot I ordered otherwise the plant was ok and survived the shipping .

  7. Tracy (verified owner) –

    Your communication and packaging is outstanding! Love my plant, he is thriving in our sunroom. Thank you

  8. Mark H. (verified owner) –

  9. Elena Egorova (verified owner) –

    Very satisfied!!!! Thank you

  10. Monika K. (verified owner) –

    Plant arrived in excellent condition. Beautiful plant. Thank you!!

  11. Brenda (verified owner) –

    Bought them as decor for a small store. Very nice.

  12. Kole Wright (verified owner) –

  13. Tanya (verified owner) –

  14. Ginger F. (verified owner) –

    Arrived fine. Looks great.

  15. Melissa A. (verified owner) –

    It was shipped pretty fast and although I can tell they really tried to secure it, there was still two pieces that broke off so I guess it’s just inevitable with these prickly pears..but it’s still such a pretty plant. I will be purchasing more 🙂

  16. Margaret A. (verified owner) –

    Fast delivery and the plant was in great shape! Only lost one leaf in transit! Plant was exactly what I wanted!

  17. Robert Aragon (verified owner) –

  18. Daniel Brinkman-Coronel (verified owner) –

  19. Susan S. (verified owner) –

    Gorgeous, full and super healthy!

  20. Rebecca –

    Is this Opuntia Ficus-Indica (Barbary Fig) or is it a different type of Opuntia?

  21. Leslie (verified owner) –

    Love it!! A pad had fallen off during shipping. I put it in soil and giving it lots of love hoping it will grow!!

  22. Jennifer James (verified owner) –

    Beautiful!

  23. Chris Bailey (verified owner) –

    It got beat up some in shipping, had 2 cactus leaves that were broken off, but plant still looks ok. After getting home from work I checked the plant and it looks like another large cactus leaf is dying, looks like there was more damage during shipping than what I thought.

  24. Margaret Bennett (verified owner) –

    My Catus arrived in excellent condition I want to thank you very much for your service…

  25. Liz –

    What does this cacti need to flourish?

  26. Stephen Pendleton (verified owner) –

    My plant arrived speedy fast and very well packaged. Cactus looked like the photo that was sent to my e-mail, very beautiful, happy and healthy. Well worth the money, which was competitively priced. I have already placed another order with PLANTVINE my new location for a wide variety of healthy plants. Thanks

  27. Charles R. (verified owner) –

    Fast Shipping … Well Packed … Very Nice Looking Cactus … Thanks !!!

  28. Ginger Faedtke (verified owner) –

    Arrived safely. Great condition.

  29. Rachel –

    Does this cactus have thorns?

  30. Jennifer –

    Does the prickly pear come out green or purple

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Why others chose the Prickly Pear Cactus

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Low maintenance and interesting looking

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I love cactus and succulent plants most are easy to care for.

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