Prickly pear
Opuntia ficus-indica
Also called Paddle cactus and Nopal
Houseplant · Succulents & cactiWants a gritty mix and a cold, bone-dry winter rest if it is ever to flower.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 28 daysSoak, then bone-dry — wait until the soil is dry right through — lift the pot, it tells you.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Every 90 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Half-hardy — a light frost RHS H3, to -5°C
- Size
- 1.5 m tall · 1 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- Mexico
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsSafe for pets
PeopleIrritates skin
Safe to eat: the peeled ripe fruit and de-spined young pads.
HandlingTake care handling it
Glochids — the fine hair tufts at each spine cluster — come off on skin at a touch and are the real hazard, not the long spines.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A dry white woolly speck on the pad that smears crimson if you rub it.Cochineal scale · pest