Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia littoralis) in Chaparral, Topanga, CA photo by Kathy Vilim
One of the prominent players in the Southwest Native Garden is the Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia littoralis). One of many different kinds of cactus seen throughout the Chaparral, it is a valuable part of the wildlife garden, offering both food and refuge to wildlife. Bees enjoy the bright yellow cactus blossoms, as do hummingbirds. Birds scatter cactus seeds and make nests in its pads. Spiders spin elaborate webs between the pads and trunks. And coyotes eat the fruit of the cactus called “tuna” or “nopales” when they are ripened to a deep red-orange color. Prickly Pear is a whole ecosystem unto itself.
Cactus Wren Nest on Pad of Prickly Pear, Topanga, CA Photo by Kathy Vilim
An interesting note about Prickly Pear blossoms, they have what are called “thigmotactic anthers” which, when touched, curl over and deposit pollen. You can observe this yourself by poking your finger into the flower.
People can also enjoy eating the Tuna of Prickly Pear, once you get past all the spines, that is. They taste something like Persimmon with a similar color & texture.. a yummy, fresh dessert that I have often enjoyed after a dinner of Napolitos… that is cooked cactus pads! Yes, the pads are edible, too.
Tasty Tuna Ripens on Prickly Pear, Topanga, Photo by Kathy Vilim
Besides being edible, Prickly Pear provide refuge for small animals. Prickly Pear Cactus make excellent barrier plants and can be planted in hedgerows at the edge of your property. No one will attempt to cross over, past their long spines. Prickly Pear also have a second set of tiny spines that get into your skin and are very hard to get out. This makes them hard to handle, but the perfect barrier plant! Ground squirrels use this to their advantage, providing further protection as they find refuge digging tunnels between the trunks of the big thorny cactus.
Stand of Prickly Pear Provides Refuge to Ground Squirrels, Photo by Kathy Vilim
But, Prickly Pear has a predator: a scale insect called Cochineal. On the flat fleshy cactus pads (cladodes), Cochineal looks like some sort of white mold. But if you spray it with a hose to try to wash it off, that mold begins to bleed, a deep crimson. What’s this? One time, to my big surprise, I watched as a Cochineal scale insect got up and “walked away” to avoid the spray of my hose! Um.. mold does not walk!
Cochineal is a parasite, living off the nutrients of the sap from the Opuntia cactus. It produces “carminic acid” to keep other insects away. That’s where the red “blood” comes from, the Cochineal’s body.
Prickly Pear Cactus Pad covered in Cochineal insects, Photo by Kathy Vilim
This crimson “blood” was used as a dye by the Indians, even as far back as the days of the Aztecs. It was later sought after by Europeans to make rich crimson-colored robes. Believe it or not, the carminic acid of the Cochineal is still used as a natural dye and for food coloring, with Peru taking the lead in Prickly Pear farming for the insects. The acid is extracted from the insect’s body & aluminum salt is added to make the dye.
The Cochineal cannot be killed by pesticides, as farmers growing Prickly Pear discovered. But there is a Horticultural Oil that you can apply, which works well and is considered an organic option.
When I moved to my hillside home in the chaparral, I had a huge stand of cactus near a rock wall. One year, it was especially dry and the large stand of mature Prickly Pear Cactus became infested with the scale insects, Cochineal. Once established, Cochineal can decimate an entire stand of Prickly Pears even if they have been growing for many years, as was the case in my yard. Perhaps part of their purpose is to ‘put the brakes on’ the unchecked spread of Prickly Pear’s large colonies.
Interestingly, as the Prickly Pear stand died back, California Black Walnut trees (Juglans californica) began to take hold. These are California native trees and endemic mast trees, providing a food source for squirrels. Over the years since, the trees have grown into a forest, such that you can’t tell Prickly Pear was once there. Walnut trees are poisonous to some other plants. This gives them a chance to establish their territory and make sure they get enough sun and water.
California Black Walnut trees (Juglans california) my Topanga hillside, Photo by Kathy Vilim
It is so interesting to watch how Nature takes over, left to its own devices. One of the advantages to having the same native garden over so many years, is being able to observe the changes that time & weather bring to the land and its wildlife. I can now delight in the squirrel antics, watching them as they jump from tree to tree, foraging for walnuts, and listen to them chatter from the canopy over my garden. New groves of Prickly Pear Cactus have since grown up in other parts of my hillside, away from the Walnut trees, and all is well. Thanks to the invasion of the scale insects during an especially dry year, I was able to observe this transformation in part of my garden from cactus ecosystem to the ecosystem of native walnut trees.
Everyone seems to be able to co-exist in the Wildlife Garden. We know there will be many changes going forward with weather playing a prominent role. Nature reminds us: There is only one constant, and that is change.
Prickly Pear Tuna Eaten by Wildlife, Topanga, Photo by Kathy Vilim
About Kathy Vilim
Lifelong lover of nature.. I enjoy writing about what I see around me & photographing it. I garden in Southern California where I have lived many years and have enjoyed all of them. Happy to share tips on native gardening and lessons learned, as well as critters met on my Blog: http://nativegardener.blogspot.com. Follow @nativegardener on twitter!
© 2012, Kathy Vilim. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Kathy Vilim
Kathy when I moved to AZ I discovered prickly pear. They sold the pads in the grocery stores and then the fruit…I was so amazed. I also discovered those spines on cactus I saw growing around. When I discovered native plants here in NY I found we have an eastern prickly pear cactus…although not native to my county, I have found the a spot for one in the hot gravel of the waterfall of my pond.
Black walnuts were growing around my property at the old house…although a challenge I had started a nice shade garden there…the squirrels were in walnut heaven in my yard!
Great post!
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-August 2012
Thanks, Donna. I heard that there were Prickly Pear Cactus on the East Coast, and that they are able to withstand pretty cold temps! I am glad you found a place in your yard for one. Do you have just one, or a group? I wonder if they grow as fast in New York as they do out here. We can easily make cuttings- they just root themselves wherever you throw them!
Kathy @nativegardener recently posted..Rerouting the Rain
I have heard of clumps and large plants if they find the right spot. Mine was started from a pad last year and is growing slowly. I think by next year it will be a nice size plant that I can maybe even put down by my mailbox for a trial run. It gets lots of salt and snow from the road in winter there. I hope to plant a pad or 2 there from the original plant once it grows more. Might keep the dogs from doing their business near my mailbox. I’ll let you know how it goes. It has a lovely yellow flower usually. No flowers this year though. Not sure if it was due to the very cold spring in April.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-August 2012
I am a midwest girI who lived in New Mexico for 3 years where I fell in love with cactus. I’m back in the midwest now for many years love to see and hear about cactus is people’s gardens. Your pictures are great!
Thanks Denise for stopping by to look at my post. I am glad you enjoyed the cactus pics. I am a midwest girl originally, too. When I moved west, I became amazed by the cactus, as well as many other chaparral plants that are able to just take care of themselves~
Kathy @nativegardener recently posted..Rerouting the Rain
I literally just planted an Opuntia today—I’ve got a dry hillside spot that has defeated all comers, so I’m pulling out the big guns and hoping it’ll do the trick! I still find it very strange to see prickly pear out here, but they apparently have a huge native range, so hey, why not?
UrsulaV recently posted..Rain at last!
I hope you will update me as to the success of your Opuntia. Is it Opuntia littoralis?
Kathy @nativegardener recently posted..Rerouting the Rain
I’d forgotten that I planted a prickly pear out back. It was well hidden beneath a lot of other “stuff” which had taken over. Your article woke me up and reminded me, so I went out and uncovered what I think is Opuntia humifusa. It is coming along….slowly….I purchased it as a single pad in a pudding cup at a master gardener plant sale. It now is 5 pads, so there is progress.
Interesting how your garden adapted to change caused by the scale. I have a live and let live attitude in the garden design (e.g., there is NO design here) and your walnut moving in makes me think I am doing something right by allowing mother nature to provide the landscape design.
Funny how I completely forgot about my garden addition so thanks for the reminder.
I LOVE the picture of the bird nest….something to hope for
Loret T. Setters recently posted..It Just Never Goes Away
Opuntia humifusa .. that would make sense, the Eastern Prickly Pear. Looks very similar except the fruits. Ours are more orange-red than purple. I am so glad I reminded you of your little plant. The western variety loves dry soil; it’s hard to imagine a Prickly Pear liking lots of rain. But there you go! Loret, your landscape design sounds a lot like mine. I have my garden and Mother Nature has the rest of the hillside to do what she likes.
Kathy @nativegardener recently posted..Rerouting the Rain