Dune Prickly Pear Opuntia drummondii
- Phonetic Spelling
- op-UN-tee-a drum-AWN-dee-eye
- Description
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Dune Prickly-pear is a succulent evergreen shrub that is found among the dunes of the barrier islands, or along sandy river banks.
Dune Pricky-pear has a creeping growth habit. It has prickly spines and irritating hairs. Leaf pads are typically cylindrical.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Opuntia
- Species:
- drummondii
- Family:
- Cactaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heat and drought tolerant.
- Edibility:
- Ripe fruit edible raw or in jelly. Pads can be eaten raw or cooked and have a mucilaginous texture. Remove spines and glochids from pads and fruit before eating.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Succulent
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Description:
- Displays from August to October
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Funnel
- Flower Petals:
- 7 - 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Blooms from April to June
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Leaves:
- Hairs Present:
- No
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Cyndrilical stems (cladodes) with glochids (minute bristle-like, barbed hairs in clusters) dotting the surface.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Edible Garden
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Problems:
- Spines/Thorns
