Scientific name: Opuntia fragilis
Family: CACTACEAE
Common names: “Prickly pear cactus” “fragile prickly pear”
Plant Type: Evergreen perennial
Conditions:
Zone: 7
Light: Full sun
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Sandy or gravely
Moisture: Well drained – dry
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: 2-8″ H & W
Leaf and Stem shape: the spines are modified leaves and the fleshy pad segments are modified stems
Flower: Many plants have no flowers or do not flower every year but when they do the blooms are showy, yellow with a red tinge at the base
Maintenance: Low – zero
Landscape use: Rock garden, native garden, conservation area, container
Propagate: By offset
Pests & Disease: Scale insects
Comments: Native to BC, the spines have tiny barbs which cling to animals fur and allows the plants to be dispersed over long distances, the most winter hardy cactus of North America
