Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Friday - March 05, 2010
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seasonal Tasks, Cacti and Succulents
Title: What to do about cold damage to spineless prickly pear?
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
In Austin, Texas our 'spineless' prickly pear cactus is about 6' wide by 4' tall. In the last severe freeze, the top half flattened out and has remained that way. Should I cut the flattened pads off, and if so, should I paint the cuts so they won't get waterlogged when it rains or otherwise decay? Or what should I do with the cactus? Thank you.ANSWER:
The spineless prickly pear in our area is Opuntia ellisiana (tigertongue) , and is generally considered to be rather cold hardy, however this winter has done a number on them all over the area. A 4' by 6' plant makes a handsome specimen, and is worth the effort it takes to save it.
The plant may slough off the more severely damaged pads on its own, but Mr. Smarty Plants recommends being more pro-active and removing the flattened pads now. Cut the pads at the point of attachment, and the plant will produce callus tissue at the site that will protect against invasion by microbes, so wound painting is not necessary and is actually counterproductive. You may wish to remove up to one third of the height of the plant, but keep in mind the overall shape you want to achieve. The plant will produce new pads in the spring growing season.
Just because the cactus is "spineless", don't be lulled into thinking that the plant is harmless. Its "second line of defense" is perhaps more insidious that the spines, since they are not as obvious. These are the small hair-like spines called glochids that occur on the aereoles. They are characteristic of the genus Opuntia, and O. ellisiana certainly has its share.
The glochids have small barbs so that when they enter the skin, they are difficult to remove. The best defense is prevention; when handling the cactus pads, wear thick gloves. Be aware that the glochids do attach to gloves and clothing, so be careful handling them after the pruning.
If you want more prickly pear plants, use the pads that you cut off to propagate more.
From the Image Gallery
More Cacti and Succulents Questions
Large agave (century plant) flower stalk
June 17, 2008 - HI.I live in Blythe, Ca. and have a GIANT of an agave in my back yard. It is now over 40'high and is blooming. I first noticed the stock growing at Easter when it was about 12' high. It is now t...
view the full question and answer
No blooms on Spineless Prickly Pear in Austin
June 07, 2012 - I've had a spineless prickly pear planted in the shade for about 3 years. It has done just fine there, but has never bloomed. I recently moved it to a full sun location(I'm in north Austin) and cove...
view the full question and answer
Plants for pool area in Florida
May 09, 2008 - My husband and I have a pool with 4 planters and are looking for plants that we can put into our screened in pool area. We live in Central Florida and looking for ideas of plants that are slow growin...
view the full question and answer
Problems with claret cup cactus in Austin
April 07, 2012 - I have a claret cup cactus in a terra-cotta pot that bloomed beautifully a few years ago but hasn't since. This year, it set about a dozen buds and looked poised to bloom like crazy, but two weeks la...
view the full question and answer
Identification of green succulent plant with red tubular flowers
October 08, 2007 - Hi there, i have this plant which is green,leaves are succulent, and these red tubular little flowers about an inch long grow rampantly all summer.
i wanna know what it is called as i take cuttings a...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |