How I learned about the delicious prickly pear

The cactus is easy to propagate. My father in law's cacti will get too heavy, a piece will fall off or over, and will tumble down the steep flower bed. Wherever it stops, it ends up rooting in place! So you can clip a piece from a friend, get one and put clippings in a bed, and grow your own fruit. It's a very pretty plant in big beds and would be a unique addition to your home for curb appeal or just for you to admire in your own yard.

To propagate the cactus plant, just plant part of the green "pad" about an inch deep in the ground. Put something next to it to keep it upright if you need to. It'll grow roots. From seed is not as easy, but still fairly easy. Just spread them around a shady bed and keep them moist until they germinate (sprout).

The prickly pear cactus is hardy in zones 08a to 10a (find your hardiness zone by zip code here). That doesn't mean they can't be in other zones. Those are just the best conditions naturally for them. I know two people in a Zone 6 area and Zone 7 area that has them and they do beautifully.

It needs well-drained soil, so add some rocks or sand to your top soil where you plant them if your drainage isn't good. Or, you could make your garden into a desert oasis! The cactus can take the dry soil, but most weeds can't ;) According to a gardener at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Wyoming, these cacti prefer about 1/3 coarse gravel, 1/3 sand and 1/3 topsoil (1).

Apparently you can eat the pads as well. I'm interested in trying this!

The pads can be a good food for livestock (2; 3).

Click on the images below for beautiful cactus prints!