by Matthew E. Navarro

According to the American Horticultural Society, Opuntia are a “genus of perennial cacti, ranging from small, alpine, ground cover plants to large, evergreen, tropical trees, with at times insignificant glochids”. I am growing about 50 individual plants of 5 or so species, which represent perhaps only 2% of the total number of species within the genus. The vagueness of the AMS's brief description reflects the wide variability, beauty, and possibilities for this wonderful plant.

Most of my Opuntia come from cuttings gathered from mature plants located in Chico, Sonoma county, and Napa. The Opuntia Verschafeltii comes from the Lone Pine nursery in Sebastopol. The pictured plants may be robustas. I do not recommend eating the pads like an indica ficus. My shots focus on the amazing areoles, the plants' meristems and evolutionary life hack. These areoles will become new stems/pads, and perhaps be pruned into branches in a few years. Along with helping the plants hold in water to survive droughts, their meristematic quality means they can become pads, spines, roots, glochids, flowers, or combination thereof.

 

Their hardiness and ability to grow in full or part sun, combined with such powerful areoles makes the Opuntia easy to grow in California, and an invasive exotic outside the Americas. I think you should grow at least one, and if you do:

Prune them like fruit trees, and they will grow into fruit trees. The University of Reno's publication (https://extension.unr.edu/ publication.aspx?PubID=2760) for cactus and opuntia pruning, and our UC ag extension's advice on pruning can guide experimental hands to create lush fruit producers and/or fantastic hedges. When making a cut (I suggest a machete, saw, or box cutter) keep apical dominance in mind, and focus on pad nodes for thinning and heading.

Play with the pads. Pads younger than 6 months are good to eat, but not all are good for eating. I never advise eating anything without doing your own investigation though. Pads older than 6 months are edible and viable cuttings. Remember, any areole can become a root or stem. If you have a friend with a lovely Opuntia, a single cutting can become a showpiece plant in less than 5 years. I recommend taking at least three.

Think ahead. As with any plant, the Opuntia should be considered based on its character before placing in the ground. Question: what functions will this plant offer? What will its needs be? How will I interact with it as we grow? How big will it get? Follow the Master Gardening mantra of “right plant, right place”. If you have the right place in the garden, an Opuntia would be the right plant.

Information links:

Cacti guide https://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=opuntia

Calflora https://www.calflora.org//cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?where-genus=opuntia

 

 

Master Gardeners are following recommended social distancing guidelines that keep everyone safe, Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Matt Navarro