Cactus 'Drooping Prickly Pear'

Botanical: Opuntia monacantha

Common: Drooping Prickly Pear cactus, Bunny Ears Cactus, Burro's Tail Cactus

• Light: Bright Indirect
• Ideal Temperature: 60-85°F
• Humidity: Low
• Water: Allow the soil to dry out completely between watering
• Fertilize: Every 6-8 weeks during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer diluted to half strength
• Preferred Soil: Cacti and Succulent Potting Mix

• To encourage your Drooping Prickly Pear Cactus to flower and fruit, provide it with the recommended optimal conditions. Once it's mature, provide a stress period by withholding water for a few weeks and or by moving it to a cooler location for the winter.
• If you find your Drooping Prickly Pear producing flowers but no fruit, you can further encourage fruit production by hand-pollinating the flowers. Simply transfer the pollen from the male flower (stamens) to the female flower (pistil).
• Remember that this plant is a drought-tolerant succulent. Meaning, it's much easier to overwater, than to underwater..

• Member of the Cactaceae family, also commonly known as the Cactus family, which is a large family of flowering plants that includes over 1,860 species.
• The Drooping Prickly Pear Cactus is native to Mexico and Central America.

• The Drooping Prickly Pear Cactus can grow to be up to 6 feet long
• As a cactus and Succulent, the Drooping Prickly Pear is very drought-tolerant and stores water above the soil in its trunk.
• The Drooping Prickly Pear Cactus can produce yellow or orange flowers that bloom in the spring and summer. They are typically about 1 inch in diameter and have a sweet smell.
• The Flower produces a fruit that is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked that is about 1 inch in diameter and has a sweet, sour taste.