Prickly Pear, Barbary fig
Opuntia ficus-indica
Family: Cactaceae
What it is like
Opuntia ficus-indica is an evergreen Perennial growing to 5 m (16ft) by 5 m (16ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 5
Where it is found
Naturalized in the Mediterranean where it grows in dry arid and rocky places.
Original habitat is obscure.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use. Sweet and gelatinous. Very refreshing, they are somewhat like a watermelon in flavour. The fruits are up to 10cm long and 9cm wide. Be careful of the plants irritant hairs, see the notes above on toxicity. Pads - cooked and used like French beans. Watery and very mucilaginous. Flowers - raw. Seed - ground into a meal. An edible gum is obtained from the stem.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The flowers and stems are antispasmodic, diuretic and emollient. The split stems have been bound around injured limbs as a first aid measure. The flowers are astringent and are used to reduce bleeding and treat problems of the gastro-intestinal tract, especially diarrhoea, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. The flowers are also used in the treatment of an enlarged prostate gland.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Emollient: Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.
Other
Rating: 1
A gum is obtained from the stem. It is used as a masticatory or mixed with oil to make candles. The juice of the boiled stem segments is very sticky. It is added to plaster, whitewash etc to make it adhere better to walls.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
Requires a sandy or very well-drained soil. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5. Plants must be kept fairly dry in the winter but they like a reasonable supply of water in the growing season. A position at the base of a south-facing wall or somewhere that can be protected from winter rain is best for this plant. Requires warmth and plenty of sun. Plants tolerate considerable neglect. Cultivated in many warm temperate and sub tropical areas for its edible fruits and its use as a stock-proof barrier, it is not very cold-tolerant and is unlikely to survive the winter outdoors in Britain. There are some named varieties, one at least of which is free from spines and irritant hairs.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter. Cuttings of leaf pads at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; East Wall. By. South Wall. By.
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry
Things to keep in mind
The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids (hairs) that are easily dislodged when the plant is touched and they then become stuck to the skin where they are difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable discomfort.