Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, just thought I'd post some pics to show staged of opuntia or spineless prickly pear cactus development. For anyone who is interested this is how it goes....

Heres the question, does anybody know what type of tempatures these things can handle? I would love to plant them outside but I live in saint louis, it gets pretty cold in the winter and I wouldn't want them to die. Thanks and enjoy....

-Ian

First stage: the places where spines would be on a cactus with spines starts oozing little crystallized sap almost (small white bead looking thing) Then an almost fuzzy bud will start to emerge. This seems to happen out of the topmost spine location first...

Stage 2: The "bud" grows larger and almost looks like a flower...

Stage 3: It becomes obvious that the flowerlike bud is actually another pad coming right out of the original pad....

Stage 4: Everything starts growing like mad, you get the idea now.....

The nopales type Opuntia cactus grows well in the SW, and Baja and Sonora, Mexico. It thrives here in Northern California, but it only gets into the high 20's a few days each Winter. I think a hard mid-west frost will freeze and kill it. Maybe you could move it indoors in the Winter? There are some very hardy Opuntias that grow on the praries in OK etc., but they are very spiny... I think Opuntia would thrive in a green house, protected from the Winter freeze.

Cool pictures. Most opuntia are native to the warmer parts of the US, especially the southwest, but just about any state you can name has at least one species that is native there, including Missouri, if I remember correctly. They can stand freezing temps because many deserts get below freezing in the winter, even here in southern Cal. They just go dormant and wait until spring.

It depends on what species you have whether or not it will survive in St. Louis. I think it is likely that as long as you plant them in sandy, well-drained soil and in full sun, most species of opuntia will survive where you are.

They come back every year. But I don't get fruit, just blossoms.