Brittle prickly pear
Opuntia fragilis

Family: Cactaceae

What it is like

A cactus. It is low and shrubby. It forms clumps 5-10 cm high and 30 cm across. The stem segments are short and vary in shape. They are studded with clusters of up to 9 spines. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit are green and egg shaped. They become red as they ripen.

There are about 250 Opuntia species. It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It extends to 56°N into British Columbia in Canada. It grows in dry areas. In California it can grow to 2,000 m altitude or higher. It suits hardiness zones 6-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Canada, North America, Slovenia, USA

How it is used for food

The spines are scorched off in a hot fire and the stem segments are then roasted. The inner part is then eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, seeds, stem

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Brittle cactus, Fragile prickly pear, Loose prickly pear, Prickly pear, Razdrobljena opuncija

Synonyms

Cactus fragilis Nuttall; Opuntia brachyarthra Engel. & J.M. Coulter; Opuntia drummondii Graham; Opuntia fragilis var. brachyarthra (Engel. & Coulter) J.M. Coulter; Opuntia fragilis var. parviconspicua Backenberg; Opuntia pusilla (Haw.) Haw.