Prickly Pear Cactus

The plant we love to hate

by Gretchen F. Coyle

As kids we learned to keep away from it. Even our cats give it a wide berth. Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.) thrives in sandy soil from New England to Florida, and places beyond. When unsuspecting admirers stoop down to touch the beautiful yellow or orange 3-inch flowers, they get “attacked” by large and small, almost invisible, thorns that can cause misery for hours. Or they may be bitten by bees visiting the flowers. Young children are most vulnerable; tears flow from the first touch through thorn removal by tweezers.

Prickly pear seems to grow anywhere -- in salt marshes, sand dunes and sandy soil. It is drought tolerant, salt tolerant, spreads quickly and likes full sun. I first “discovered” prickly pear as a youngster exploring marshy, sandy islands along coastal New Jersey, quickly learning about the pitfalls. I still admire the bright yellow flowers and reddish purple fruits that form after the blossoms fall off.

A quarter century ago I brought a clump home to our garden in a bucket. It is still the bane of everyone’s existence, spreading out into a bed of its own. No one will touch the stuff, let alone try to weed or weed-whack it. The only way to get rid of prickly pear is to shovel clumps into heavy plastic yard bags and place them in the trash. Wearing heavy gloves can help, but I still end up with “invisible” thorns in my fingers.

Stories are told about the health benefits of this cactus. There are 3 edible parts -– the pad (nopal) is treated like a vegetable, the pear (tuna) is eaten like a fruit and the flower petals can be added to salads. Dealing with the nasty thorns is a definite drawback, but there are spineless varieties.

Plants can be bought or started by breaking off mature sections of pads from existing plants, drying them for a few days (hardening them off) and inserting them in sand. They will root in a few months. Water sparingly; no fertilizer needed.

The pad (nopal) is treated like a vegetable, while the pear (tuna) is eaten like a fruit. Photo by Gretchen F. Coyle — *The pad (nopal) is treated like a vegetable, while the pear (tuna) is eaten like a fruit.* Photo by Gretchen F. Coyle

Prickly pear cactus is thought to have been introduced into our country in the 19th century by cattlemen who used it as a barrier, in addition to winter forage. Today, the South American cactus moth has been steadily spreading northward and eradicating prickly pear cactus from some areas. It eats the inside of the pads, killing the plants. The moth, which arrived in Florida in 1989, is laying waste to prickly pears from South Carolina to Alabama. Federal officials are desperate to stop it before it reaches Texas and Mexico, which grows the cactus commercially for food.

Some gardeners consider prickly pear cactus a noxious weed that is almost invincible. Others covet it for its bright flowers and health benefits. All consider it a hazard to be respected.

Gretchen Coyle writes about Cereus cactus here. She’s the co-author of Inferno at Sea: Stories of Death and Survival Aboard the Morro Castle.

Prickly Pear Jelly

3½ cups cactus juice

1 bottle liquid pectin

Juice of 2 lemons

8 cups sugar

Using rubber gloves and tongs, pick ripe cactus pads and spray them with a hose to remove many of the thorns. Place on cutting board, remove any thorns you find and cut the ends off of the fruit. Then split and peel off the skin. Place fruit into pan and add water. Boil and simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat until soft. Then run through a jelly bag.

Mix the cactus juice with the lemon juice, then add the sugar very slowly. Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil again for 1 minute.

Remove from stove and seal in sterilized jars according to directions. A water bath of ten minutes (boiling sealed jars) is recommended to get rid of bacteria.