June Perennial of the Month-Prickly pear

Everyone has that one problem spot in their landscape. Maybe it’s a low spot where water doesn’t drain well in the backyard … or maybe, it’s a super-dry, hot, and gravely spot in the back alley.

I recently saw such a super-dry spot in an alley on the Lafayette Garden Tour. How was it handled? With prickly pear.

Opuntia humifusa (synonym O. compressa) and O. macrorhiza are the two main species of native prickly pear in Missouri. I know what you’re thinking … cactus? Native to Missouri? What? Yes, believe it or not, Missouri has native cactus. O. humifusa, known as the plains prickly pear, is usually found in rocky glades or ledges, dry prairies. Sometimes along gravel washes near streams, even train tracks! Being super-hardy, it’s native throughout the East and Midwest as far north as Ontario. O. macrorhiza is found in similar areas with a range north to Idaho.

Both love full, full sun, well-drained soils, and low moisture levels, where they spread into an unfriendly colony. Not the best choice for next to the driveway or mailbox, although I’ve seen it done.

When prickly pears are happy, they reward you with absolutely stunning flowers. When not in bloom, they are still conversation starters with their unique, beavertail-shaped pads covered in spines and bristles. Also notable is the history of the plant as an edible and medicinal plant with Native Americans and First Nations.

The key thing to notice here is that the plant loves it DRY, SUNNY, and WELL-DRAINED. If you have a sunny garden mulched with compost and tons of organic matter over the years, do not put prickly pear there. A raised bed (like that one around your lamp post!) is a perfect place to amend the soil and make it well-drained. A container is also an easy way to grow pickier plants that require ‘special needs’ aka…NOT regular potting soil to thrive. 

Why I love this plant;

-It’s native. 

-Unique

-Stunning flowers

-Drought resistant

-Rabbit-resistant (not deer resistant!)

What’s not so great? 

-NOT user-friendly, with prominent spines and bristles that cannot only scratch and pierce skin but also cause allergic reactions. Great for under the sunny window of your teenage daughter’s bedroom-not where small children or pets play.

-Hard to find in the trade, please, please, PLEASE do not consider transplanting from the wild. Try online if you can’t find a local source, or since they are super easy to divide, ask someone who already has a patch if they will share.

Comments or questions? Email Garden-Lou at gardenloustl@gmail.com

Words and photos by Jo Batzer

© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com-2023, All rights reserved.