PlantFiles Pictures: Eastern Prickly Pear, Devil's Tongue, Low Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa), 1 by BLOSSOMBUDDY

BLOSSOMBUDDY wrote:
Thanks! That littlle xeriscape is about ten years old. The opuntias are just getting to that point were I have to "prune" them every year now as they reach over the bedbox! The yucca with it is the Adams Needle variety and a varigated one.

A little secret to its planting and when we start new prickley pear cuttings is that we will take 3-4 paddies of the pears and start them in nurserymum pans.. usually use old ones to recycle. We plant the pan and all in the ground and wahlah, they take off!

Handle the paddies with hotdog tongs!! They have spines that can reach about an inch long, but its the little tiny red ones you need to moreso watch out for, those will stay in your skin, while the bigger spines just stick you if you are not careful!

Currently I have over 50 paddies to offer out to trade and they range in size from the size of the palm of your hand to smaller....I am looking for the opuntia in pink, but the pink must be winter hardy like these in Illinois! Mine are a native of my state! See my trade list for more info on my other offerings and wish list!

Here is my opuntia after the flowers are gone and the pears are dropping! After that stage winter is not too far off and the prickly goes through a wrinkled ugly stage in the winter! The paddies get looking like prunes! Not to be alarmed, they bounce back as plump as ever come spring!