Prickly Pear Cactus
prickly pear tuna
Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia humifusa
Duration
Perennial
Plant Type
Wildflower

Yes, Long Island has a native cactus! The Prickly Pear Cactus is a mounding, low-growing perennial found closer to the shoreline in sandy patches.  Easy to grow, hard to kill, and great for containers, too.  Be careful of the tiny hairlike spines when handling!  The paddles (nopales) and fruit (tuna) are edible and feature in Mexican cuisine. 

Available
Yes
Height
1 foot
Spread
1-2 feet
Bloom Season
Early Summer - Mid Summer
Flower Colors
Yellow
Sun Tolerance
fullsun
partsun
Soil Tolerance
Sandy,  Dry,  Well drained
Features
Image
bee friendly
Image
salt tolerant
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deer resistant
QR
https://db.linpi.org/ophu https://db.linpi.org/ophu
Code
OPHU