nopales prickly pear cactus NOPALES 'Green' --Opuntia cacanapa--

nopales prickly pear cactus NOPALES 'Green' --Opuntia cacanapa--Pretty round paddled cactus, in solid green. Found natively throughout Mexico and the southern US including Texas. Nopales are heavily cultivated throughout Central America as a vegetable, and with historical medicinal usage to reduce inflammation and are loaded with potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc and iron, as well as thiamine, lutein, niacin, riboflavin and beta carotene. Was also used as a host for the Cochineal insect that

Pretty round-paddled cactus, in solid green. Found natively throughout Mexico and the southern US including Texas. Nopales are heavily cultivated throughout Central America as a vegetable, and with historical medicinal usage to reduce inflammation and are loaded with potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc and iron, as well as thiamine, lutein, niacin, riboflavin and beta-carotene. Was also used as a host for the Cochineal insect that provided a brilliant red coloring used in cosmetics and fabric dyes. Paddles are small and thin, 3-4" long. Flowers are orange to red and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Scrape or burn the small spine clusters (glochids) off the paddles and cook like okra or squash - second image shows pre-cooking prepped paddles. Great addition to tacos, soups, etc. Suitable for container, water sparingly and plant in very well draining soil.