Opuntia stricta var. stricta (Erect Prickly-pear) 1g

Description

This 1′-3′ tall native cactus was cultivated by Native Americans for its edible fruits and edible pads. Bees love the flowers. Birds and small mammals love the fruit. The fruit and pads of cacti were one of the main food sources of Native Americans in the Coastal Southeast. It thrives in full sun to light shade and well-drained soil. It thrives in high calcium soils.  It is generally deer resistant. This species is rare in SC. We propagated our plants from native populations in Beaufort and Jasper Cos., SC.

I identified my plants as Opuntia stricta var. stricta based upon the most current treatment in 2010. Since then, botanists have been reworking this genus. These may be placed into other species at a later date.