Drooping Prickly Pear
Opuntia monacantha
NEMBA category
English: Drooping Prickly Pear, Thin-leaved Prickly Pear, Cochineal Prickly Pear
Misapplied or old scientific names: Opuntia vulgaris
Opuntia monacantha, commonly known as Drooping Prickly Pear or Cochineal Prickly Pear, is a shrubby or tree-like cactus characterised by its elongated, flattened pads that often droop or curve downward, and its yellow or orange flowers.
Native to South America, it has been introduced to various regions, including South Africa, where it has become an alien invasive species. The plant thrives in coastal and arid environments, forming dense thickets that out-compete native vegetation and reduce biodiversity. Its ability to spread rapidly through both seed dispersal and vegetative reproduction from detached pads makes it difficult to control.
Have you got a better picture?
If you don't mind us using it, please upload it by clicking the Upload button below (you must be logged in to do this)
Origins: South America
Overall Appearance: A succulent shrub or small tree with flattened, jointed stems (cladodes) and a sprawling growth habit. Can grow up to 5 metres tall.
Leaves:
Reduced to spines: Modified into spines of varying lengths, including long, sharp spines and shorter, finer glochids (tiny, barbed spines).
Areoles: Spines and glochids emerge from areoles, small, woolly patches on the cladodes.
Flowers:
Colour: Bright yellow, sometimes with a reddish tinge.
Shape: Solitary, showy flowers with numerous petals.
Flowering Season: Spring to summer.
Fruits:
Type: Fleshy, pear-shaped fruits (hence the common name).
Colour: Green when young, ripening to yellow, orange, or red.
Seeds: Numerous small, black seeds embedded in the fruit pulp.
Bark: Thick, woody, and often covered in spines.
Wood: Hard and woody.
Soil Type: Tolerant of a wide range of soil types, including poor, rocky soils.
pH: Tolerates a wide range of soil pH levels.
Aspect: Thrives in full sun.
Edible Parts: The fruits are edible and can be eaten fresh, cooked, or processed into jams and jellies. Young, tender pads can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Poisonous Parts: Spines and glochids can cause painful injuries to humans and animals.
Uses:
Ornamental: (Historically) Cultivated for ornamental purposes and as living fences.
Food: Edible fruits and young pads.
Livestock Feed: (Historically) Used as a source of forage for livestock.
Traditional Medicine: Used in traditional medicine for various ailments.
Birds Attracted: Some birds may consume the fruits.
Insects Attracted: Bees and other pollinators are attracted to the flowers.
Mammals: Some mammals may consume the fruits, but the spines deter many herbivores.
Friendly alternatives:
Common name
Scientific Name
Plant type:
Plant type
Plant family:
Plant family (derivation)