Prickly pear is a shrubs or a small tree which is found growing in hammocks, fields, sandy soils at low altitudes and on mountain slopes in its native range. All have flat, fleshy pads that look like large leaves. The pads are actually modified branches or stems that serve several functions — water storage, photosynthesis and flower production. It is an edible cactus and has many medicinal properties. It also makes an attractive, drought-tolerant landscape plant.
| Name | Prickly pear |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nopalea cochenillifera |
| Native | United States, Mexico, and South America |
| Common/English Name | Cochineal Cactus, Cochineal Nopal Cactus, Cochineal-Plant, Nopal Cactus, Nopalea Grande, Nopales Opuntia, Prickly Pear, Tunita, Velvet Opuntia, Warm Hand, Wooly Joint Prickly Pear |
| Name in Other Languages | Spanish: Nopal Chamacuero Philippines: Arapal (Bis-Cebuano) Anguilla: Cochineal Cactus Venezeula: Tuna Real Sierra Leone: Tandaletando (Kisse) Aztec: Nopal Nochetzli French: Cochenillier Portuguese: Cacto-De-Cochonilha India: Puchikallai (Tamil) Mexico: Nopal Chinese: Yan Zhi Zhang Saint Helena: English Tungy Bermuda: Cochineal Cactus Norwegian: Cochenillekaktus |
| Plant Growth Habit | Shrubs or small trees, |
| Growing Climate | Sunny, desert-like conditions |
| Soil | Course, well-drained soil in dry, rocky flats or slopes |
| Plant Size | 2–4 m tall |
| Trunk | Terete and woody. |
| Stem | Green, elliptic to narrowly obovate 8–40(−50) × 5–7.5(−15) cm, thick, margin entire, base and apex rounded |
| Leaf | Conic, 3–4 mm, early deciduous. |
| Pads Shape & Size | Flat, fleshy and are oval to round in shape. Size of the pads range from 4 in (10 cm) to 18 in (46 cm) in length. |
| Pads Color | Green |
| Flower | 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter, erect and are red, yellow, or purple colored |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Cylindrical, pear-shaped fruit, about 2.5 in (7 cm) long. |
| Fruit Color | Yellow and light green to orange, pink, and red, depending on the variety and ripeness. |
| Flesh Color | White, green, yellow, red, or purple colored |
| Taste | Raspberry like taste |
| Seed | Gray or tan, thickened discoid, 3 mm in diameter, slightly pubescent. |
| Season | September to November. |
| Major Nutrition | Manganese, Mn 0.393 mg (17.09%) Calcium, Ca 141 mg (14.10%) Magnesium, Mg 45 mg (10.71%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 8 mg (8.89%) Iron, Fe 0.51 mg (6.38%) Total dietary Fiber 1.9 g (5.00%) Copper, Cu 0.045 mg (5.00%) Potassium, K 221 mg (4.70%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.06 mg (4.62%) Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 4.6 µg (3.83%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in 1cup (86gm) | 14 Kcal |