plains prickly pear cactus Plains Prickly Pear (Colorado Ecotype) – Experimental Farm Network Seed Store

plains prickly pear cactus Plains Prickly Pear (Colorado Ecotype) – Experimental Farm Network Seed StoreOpuntia macrorhiza Origin: Colorado Improvement status: Wild Seeds per packet: ~15 BOTANICAL SAMPLE NOT GERMINATION TESTED Life cycle: Perennial Also called "prairie pricklypear" or "big root pricklypear", this western native species can be found growing from Mexico to Minnesota and from the Rocky Mountains and California to the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. It's one of the most cold hardy species of cactus pear, likely in part due to its short

Opuntia macrorhiza

Origin: Colorado

Improvement status: Wild

Seeds per packet: ~15

BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED

Life cycle: Perennial

Also called "prairie pricklypear" or "big-root pricklypear", this western native species can be found growing from Mexico to Minnesota and from the Rocky Mountains and California to the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. It's one of the most cold hardy species of cactus pear, likely in part due to its short stature (plants rarely exceed one foot in height). It has a clump-forming, semi-prostrate form. Plains prickly pears produce red-purple fruit that are slender, juicy, and tasty. The fruit follow its spectacular yellow and red-orange flowers which are very attractive to a wide range of pollinators. Like other prickly pears, pads broken off from the plant can survive for a long time and will readily root once they come into contact with soil. This species has a large underground root, helping it to store water and making it very drought tolerant. Like other cold-hardy species, the pads drain themselves of moisture in the winter in order to be able to withstand deep-freezing and repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Our seed comes from wild plants harvested by our friend and longtime grower Andy Hahn in Colorado.

GROWING TIPS: Seeds need no pre-treatment, but may benefit from some scarification (such as rubbing with sandpaper). Surface sow seeds and keep well watered until tiny sprouts appear.