Opunita humifusa
Eastern Prickly Pear 

• The only cactus native to the eastern United States, prickly pear grows in low spreading colonies of oval-shaped green paddles that are covered in short but irritating hairs.

• Prickly Pear flowers bloom in spring and are large and showy.

• Grows best in full sun and dry soil.

• Evergreen, deer resistant and drought tolerant. 

• Juicy red fruits ripen in late summer and can be eaten raw or used in syrups, candies and jam.

• Pads are also edible but need peeled or roasted to remove sharp hairs.

• Cactus juice was also traditionally used to treat burns and wounds. 

• Horticulturist’s Notes: Although Prickly Pear is technically evergreen, it looks shriveled and ugly in the winter. Don’t worry, it’s not dead! It will fill back out and be healthy again in spring.