Description
A very cold hardy cactus; all it needs is a full sun location with excellent drainage. As a ‘non-believer’ by nature I started to grow it in a small rockery and after just a couple of years I had to gift it away. If happy with the place, it spreads very fast.
Like all Opuntia it forms flattened green stem segments with tiny barbed bristles. The flowers are very large, deep yellow with red centres and many stamens; visited by many pollinators! The mature fruits are red and edible. Towards the winter the segments shrivel and take on a reddish colour.
Excellent for sun-baked areas as a groundcover where space is available and low-maintenance is desired. Easy to propagate by rooting stem pieces, but if someone doesn’t have access to them, grow it from seeds.
Germination: apparently the seeds need to be scarified first then provided a cold/moist stratification (sow and keep outdoors at least 3 months), in order to germinate well. These seeds are very fresh, let them dry a couple of weeks at room temperature, then follow with the treatment.
