Available for curbside pickup only.

Tree Description: The prickly pear cactus that ECHO propagates does NOT produce a pear. The plant can be allowed to grow into a large tree or you can keep it pruned back and small. The pads are spinless and edible.

Scientific Name: Opuntia spp

Origin: the Americas

Importance: The pads of this cactus species are a popular vegetable in Mexico. We found one of our plants was free or nearly so of glochids which we usually have available. Pads are cooked as a vegetable, or diced and added to salads. Very young pads do not have prickles, but tend to be mucilaginous. Look in Mexican cookbooks under ‘nopales’ for recipes