opuntia-prickly-pear-hastings-kahikatea-farm

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Prickly Pear (Thornless)

Name: Prickly Pear (Thornless) - Kahikatea Farm Certified Organic Nursery and Permaculture Farm
Price: 18.00 NZD
Availability: InStock

Opuntia ficus-indica

$18.00

Also known as Nopal cactus, Cactus Pear, Barbary or Indian Fig, this is a large cactus native to the southwestern regions of the United States and Central America, in particular Mexico. Prickly Pears grow to 3- 5 m high, often with a thick cylindrical trunk, and distinctive flat, paddle-shaped pads (stem segments) which are edible. Each pad can grow to 30 cm long and may have a drooping habit on larger plants. Although this cultivar may have a few barbed hairs on older leaves (gloves are recommended!), it does not have the lethal spikes of the true species and certainly the smaller leaves are smooth and easy to handle. In summer yellow flowers up to 7 cm diameter are produced on the margins of the pads and these are followed by edible red fruit, which are a bit fiddly but delicious!

Please note potted plants only contain one pad, as they are too vulnerable to breaking in transit if they are more than one pad tall.

9cm pot

NB Main image – photo taken by Kahikatea Farm but of generic species, may not be O. ficus-indica, and is certainly much spikier than our thornless offerings! See gallery pictures for our own plants.

Cultivation

Prickly Pear is incredibly adaptable and in its native range grows from sea level up to an altitude of 4,700 m. As you’d expect it is extremely drought tolerant and can perform well with as little as 100–300 mm rainfall per year. As well as being extremely heat tolerant, it can also tolerate frosts to about minus 8°C during winter dormancy once established. However frosts can be damaging during the first couple of years and new spring growth may also suffer. Prickly Pear does best in light, dry, sandy soils but again can handle a surprisingly wide range of soil types, including heavy soils as long as it is not waterlogged. It will grow in full sun or part shade, dry or humid conditions, and wind, including salty coastal winds. Basically pretty much anything you can throw at it apart from soggy wet soils and Otago winters!

Uses

The pads, known as ‘nopales’, can be eaten when the plant is young. They are scraped of any hairs and can then be eaten raw in salads or salsa, or cooked – usually fried or boiled. They can be added to soups, stews, and taco fillings, or pickled in vinegar. They have a slightly slimy texture like okra so if you are not keen on this, remove them from the heat as soon as the colour pales, or try them sliced open and grilled. Nopales are low calorie, and high in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and are an excellent source of dietary fibre. Nopal ‘water’ is popular with athletes as it is rich in electrolytes that can support hydration.

As well being edible for humans, the nopales can also be fed in moderation to animals such as cattle, horses, goats and rabbits, many of which feast on them in the wild, but the naturally thorny versions can cause severe injury.

The fruits are known as prickly pears or ‘tunas’ and are very sweet (they have been compared to watermelon and bubblegum!). They can be eaten raw, in which case they are peeled and eaten without chewing as the seeds can easily break a tooth! Or the seeds can be removed and the fruit processed into jellies, jams, candy, and used in desserts and baking, soft drinks, cocktails and syrups.

As well as being edible, prickly pears have a wide range of other applications. The juice of the nopales is used in skin care products, as is an oil derived from the fruit, due to its high levels of antioxidants and vitamins E and K.

Nopales can also be added to natural building plasters to make them smoother, more water resistant and to help harden them.

Prickly pears also have many landscaping uses. They can provide a useful windbreak and/or firebreak, and the extensive root system helps prevent soil erosion. The pads are traditionally placed below the roots of a tree in a planting hole to help retain water and provide a fertiliser.

Medicinal Uses

Nopales contain vitamins, and minerals, as well as antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, and are used in traditional medicine. Studies suggest that nopal can help regulate blood sugar levels, making it beneficial for people with diabetes, and that it may be used in treating a range of other conditions such as liver conditions, ulcers, glaucoma, high cholesterol, obesity, hangovers, fatigue and wounds. The gel from the pads can also be used on burns like aloe vera.

Primary Actions: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic,hypotensive

Parts Used: pads, fruit

History / Folklore / Further Info

Prickly Pear or Nopal cactus has been cultivated for food for over 9,000 years. It was a staple of the Chichimeca tribes and the Nahuatl word ‘nohpalli’ became the Spanish word “nopal”. It has become a staple food for Mexicans and a symbol of Mexico, featuring on the national flag.

Note that some people have allergic reactions to eating cactus fruit resulting in rashes, itching and swelling, and in rare cases, breathing difficulties, vomiting and fainting.

Jo Says

Opuntia species are highly efficient at conserving water, due to adaptations such as shallow root systems (to absorb more rain when it does fall), thick stems, and ability to store water in their shoots. But they also have another trick up their nopales(!) – a specialized photosynthesis process called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), which allows them to photosynthesise during the day, but not exchange gases until night. These means they can keep their stomata closed during the day, leading to reduced transpiration. Unsurpisingly other plants such as cacti and succulents also use the CAM process, but more surprising is that our native Akeake (Dodonea viscosa) also does – no wonder it is so tough!

Shipping Advice

N.B. Shipping costs are added AFTER you have placed your order, you will then be emailed an invoice with bank details.

Smallest box rate:
This can fit up to 9 plants in 9cm pots.

Shipping a single tree can be expensive. We may be able to fit more in the box for the same price! See our shipping rates for single and multi tree boxes.

Combining sizes?
No problem, we will work out the best rate for you once you’ve placed your order.

Medical disclaimer

Jo has a passion for growing herbs but is not a qualified herbalist and has no medical background.

We are lucky to have Patricia Beagle working here at times, who is qualified, and some of her advice does appear on these pages, but herbs act differently for different people and can interact with other medicines. We therefore always recommend that you consult with your own qualified health-care practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing or on any medications.

Kahikatea Farm cannot take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants or a plant not having the effect it is reputed to have.