Cochineal Nopal Thornless Prickly Pear Cactus

Nopal Cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera)

Cochineal Nopal Thornless Prickly Pear Cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera) is the perfect cactus for the Florida garden as it is both drought tolerant and capable of handling the wet and cool months.  It is also thornless which is a big bonus.

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Scientific Classification

Nopal Cacti (Nopalea cochenillifera) are members of Opuntia, a large genus of cacti distributed throughout the Americas.  The species are best known by the common name "prickly pear."  They are cacti known for their spines, though this species is spineless.  Many Opuntia have large, rounded spines, while others have tiny, hairlike barbs that detach upon contact from the plant.

Family:  Cactaceae

Subfamily:  Opuntioideae

Genus:  Nopalea

Cochineal Nopal grows in a shrubby or treelike form up to 4m (13+ feet) tall, with thornless light green stems.  They are composed of paddle-shaped cladodes (joints) up to 20 inches (50 cm) long, up to 6 inches (15 cm) wide and linked together in a branched pattern.

Thornless Prickly Pear (Nopalea cochenillifera) bloom.

The flowers are something between a prickly pear and a christmas cactus appearing to never quite open all the way.  Flowers develop at the top of joints, usually in great abundance.  They are narrow, erect, bright red to rose, up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and up to 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) in diameter.

These cacti are prized for their edibility, as they grown fruit commonly eaten in Mexico and the American Southwest.  However, be sure that any fruit has been carefully cleaned if you plan of eating it, as the tiny glochids (a barbed bristle that occurs on the areole of some Opuntia species) of some on the fruit can lodge in the skin and are very painful to remove.  The distinctive red-purple juice of the Opuntia fruit can also be used in drinks, candy, and jellies.

Nude Prickly Pear  (Nopalea cochenillifera) bud.

Hardiness

The plants are hardy to 20° F (-6.7°C) or USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b, a low temperature that is rarely seen in Florida.  In my garden I've planted them along a several hundred foot long south facing fence line in quartzy sands.  Here they thrive mixed in traditional Prickly Pear cacti and with Peruvian Apple cacti.  All of these cacti were rescued from the garbage.

Cochineal Nopal Cactus  (Nopalea cochenillifera)
Stands erect and branches like a tree.

Origin

Nopalea cochenillifera is endemic to Mexico but naturalized in Florida and Texas.

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Nopal Cactus  (Nopalea cochenillifera), smooth to touch, no thorns.

How to Grow and Care

Though the large variety of species within the Opuntia genus means different types of Prickly Pears may need slightly different care.  All are desert cacti that need lots of sun, lots of light and very little water.  

Thornless Prickly Pear  (Nopalea cochenillifera)

Potting

I planted and potted my Nopal Cacti the old-fashioned way.  I chopped them with machetes and stuck them in the sand.  You may prefer a more cultured approach:  To repot, ensure the soil is dry, then remove the pot and knock away the old soil.  After treating any cuts with fungicide, place the cactus in a new pot and backfill it with potting soil or sand.  As with a new cutting, don't bother watering any prickly pear species to avoid rotting the developing roots.

Cochineal Thornless Cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera)

Propagation

Opuntia can propagate either by cuttings or by seed.  To propagate by cuttings, sever pads from a plant and let them dry so that the wounds heal.  Then place the plants in a dry soil and refrain from watering them.  To propagate from seeds, make sure they are thoroughly dry, and plant, ideally in the spring.  Again, the crucial factor in keeping the seeds alive and growing is keeping their soil well-drained and dry.  Not a problem in Florida November to June.

 Nopalea cochenillifera

Common Names

These cacti are often referred to simply as prickly pear which equates them with Florida's native prickly pears (which are spined).  They're also referred to as Cochineal Nopal Cactus, Cochineal Cactus, Cochineal Opuntia, Nopal Cactus, and Cochineal Nopal Thornless Prickly Pear Cactus.

 Nopalea cochenillifera

Scientific Synonyms

Nopalea cochenillifera subsp. cochenillifera, Cactus cochenilifer (basionym), Cactus cochenilliferus, Nopalea coccinellifera, Nopalea nuda, Opuntia cochenillifera, Opuntia nuda.

Cochineal Nopal Thornless Prickly Pear
This mature plant stands 5 feet tall and thrives in sand on a south-facing fence line.

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