Scientific Name
Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl. ex Pfeiff.
Common Name(s)
Wheel Cactus, Giant Prickly Pear Cactus, Wheel Pear, Silver Dollar, Silver Dollar Cactus, Silver Dollar Prickly Pear, Dinner Plate Cactus, Sweet Purple Cactus
Synonym(s)
Opuntia camuessa, Opuntia gorda, Opuntia guerrana, Opuntia larreyi
Scientific Classification
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Opuntioideae
Tribe: Opuntieae
Genus: Opuntia
Description
Opuntia robusta is a shrubby or tree-like cactus with much-branched stems consisting of flattened blue-green to blue-grey stem segments with areoles that bear tufts of numerous glochids and 2 to 12 sharp spines. It grows up to 15 feet (4.5 m) tall and is nearly equal in width. Stem segments are thick, fleshy, round, flattened, and up to 16 inches (40 cm) in diameter. Spines are up to 2 inches (5 cm) long. The yellow bowl-shaped flowers are up to 2.8 inches (7 cm) long and 3.2 inches (8 cm) in diameter. They appear in late spring and summer at the edges of the upper stem segments. Fruits are fleshy, barrel-shaped, pink or purple, and up to 3.6 inches (9 cm) long.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b: from 20 °F (−6.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
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. If you live in a hot, arid area, these plants can generally be planted outside, left alone, and enjoyed.
These cacti will grow just fine in a garden, but they can also be grown in pots. To repot, ensure the soil is dry, 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. As with a new cutting, ensure not to water a newly repotting Prickly Pear for a brief period to avoid rotting its roots.
Opuntia can propagate either by cuttings or by seed. To propagate by cuttings, sever pads from a plant and let them dry, so the wounds heal. Then place the plants in dry soil and refrain from watering them until they begin to grow to avoid rotting them.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Opuntia.
Origin
This species is native and endemic to Mexico.
Links
- Back to genus Opuntia
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
Photo Gallery
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
