Prickly Pear care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) wants full sun and a drink about every 21 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Opuntia ficus-indica |
|---|---|
| family | Cactaceae |
| category | succulent |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 21 |
| mature height cm | 400 |
| min zone | 8 |
| max zone | 11 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | true |
How often should I water Prickly Pear?
Barely water in winter; pads and fruit are edible once de-spined.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: yes.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is high. It wants at least about 8 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 15 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 7.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 8.5. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. It needs at least 200 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is high. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -3°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a multiple stem form. Its growth rate is slow. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in summer. It spreads by seed at a rapid rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is high. At maturity it reaches about 10.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 10 feet. Its roots go down at least 6 inches. Its shape is irregular. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in mid summer. The flowers are red. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is coarse. In summer the canopy is porous in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: no. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits high. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is medium. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02