Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica)

Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia ficus-indica

this is the best variety for eating the leaves-almost no stickers-it has large fruit also-- that is good, -but not as rich a flavor as the more stickery kinds--

Hello, Michaelp,
I believe this photo is of Opuntia ficus-indica rather than Opuntia monacantha. I also grow many plants of O. ficus-indica.
What do you think?

Tell me the difference--and than I may be able to better agree with you--[This is grown from a leaf--in time it will fill out with many side leaves and branches] it is the one you usually see in the back yards of those who grow them for fruit,as the fruit of these is bigger and have less thornes--But I realy dont know if it is identified correctly or not--Michael

Opuntia ficus-indica is the one you are talking about, [backyards, less spines, fruit, edible pads] It is also the species that is widely sold in grocery stores fresh & bottled in jars labeled Nopales or Nopalitos.
This looks like your cactus:
http://www.botanical-online.com/fotosopuntiaficusindica.htm

More than this does..
http://plantsdatabase.com/showimage/47482/

One difference is the spines & glochids. (;-])

I am sure you are right--I didn't know the difference--Michael

Sometimes the differences are so subtle, that I need to take a 5th & 6th look myself.
At the bottom of this page-link is some good info.
Smooth Mountain Prickly Pear, Indian Fig, Mission Cactus, Tuberous Prickly Pear
Opuntia ficus-indica
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/56266/index.html

In looking at the thorns on some of the other picts some of them look different also--is there that much veriation in this variety ??-Michael

Xenomorf--when I lived by Tucson we had prickly pear with long pointed leaves--I havent seen them since--do you know what these are?

This is the elongated pad form of the commonly eaten type.
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/69784/index.html

But this is another elongated form of a different species.
Cow's Tongue Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia engelmannii var linguiformis
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/67791/index.html

And I'm sure there are other elongated forms of different species.

Here's a photo of my plant, it's the long form of Opuntia ficus-indica.
this is the first plant I ever gave a name to (may sound silly).
I named it 'Bugs Bunny'

Thats cute--I can see why

Thanks to both of you, the image has been moved it its rightful home ;o)

Re: "the thorns on some of the other picts"

This one http://plantsdatabase.com/showimage/48276/ is Opuntia elata.
It matches the description of "yellow-orange flower" in a book I have.
Heres a photo of Opuntia elata:
http://www.cactioftheworld.com/view.php?id=13
And a diagram:
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botart/1751.jpg

Re: "the thorns on some of the other picts" part 2.

And I'm also looking at the distinct differences in these picts.
http://plantsdatabase.com/showimage/31140/
http://plantsdatabase.com/showimage/25647/
Although there are many species of Opuntia that have yellow flowers like this, the spines, glochids, pad color, & architecture don't match the profile of Opuntia ficus-indica.

xenomorf, Bugs Bunny is right on, LOL,
I'd like to grow one that has no thorns as I hate the way you can't get them out of your fingers, what might you guys suggest?
I have a little baby, very thorny coming in my front yard, guess original owners had quite a cactus garden, but the last owners pulled all out, sigh, 3 years ago!!!! so this is my little surprise, it's only 1 inch. I will replant it in a pot, and hope to never touch it again!!!

Opuntia ficus-indica, there is a variety that has very few spines & glochids, and i find that the longer they go in a drought without regular water in the HOT summer, the more spines they develop.
You might look at a totem pole, they rarely get a spine.
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/59906/index.html

I guess the one I'm really interested in is Opuntia Ficus-Indica, i wanted the fruit, but thanks, the totem pole is awsome! http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Opuntia_ficus-indica.html
Look at that one, WOW

Heres one down the street. A big one.
It should be plentiful where you're at.

Xenomorf, that is HUGE!!!! maybe I will take your offer, not really that hot here, it's in the low 80's right now, I guess if I go camping I might find some! We come to Arizona during the summer, go thru Utah and New Mexico, So pretty there, I love the painted dessert so much, I can't wait to see it again.

They all have fruit that taste great and the leaves are good also [when young]-I still think the fruit I had to reach up 20 or 30 Feet for was the best

Hsa anyone else tried Saguaro fruit?

I haven't tried saguaro, but i've had Peruvian apple & strawberry hedgehog.

I haven't either of those-what is it ?-----is there Saguaro near your house--you should try it--

I ate these in this photo. Peruvian apple. Tastes a little like kiwi & green grape.
http://plantsdatabase.com/showimage/48334/
inside.
http://plantsdatabase.com/showimage/48342/

strawberry hedgehog tastes a little like strawberry
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/66896/index.html

I'll have to try saguaro.

Strawberry hedgehog, looks like my little baby that came up!!!!!
Zenomorf: alien form, body????

Oh, you're wondering about the nickname-handle....hehehe.
That's close enough. (;-]}

Good deal! I'll have to lie down on my Lantana to take a pic of this wee one, can you tell, I'm really excited, wish I knew what was grown here before those stupid other people took it all down and put in 2 lawns. succulents are much better!!!

I'll second that.

The picture of Strawberry Hedgehog --looks like one would have to want it bad, to brave all those thorns--

True.
Tongs & pliers. (;-}

When you love succulents, you will put up with a few spines, I agree Xenomorf, tongs, pliers, newspaper, spoons, whatever it takes.

when I was a child I would sharpen a stick and stick it in to the top center of the cactus apple -and then pry down and break it loose from the leaf ,than peal it with a pocket knife and eat them---

That's funny, I guess that's why you still cactus today! Being from Belgium, I had never seen cactus like that, city girl, I remember when We came I was around 13 years old and went to Irvine Park with family friends, one of them gathered a bunch, rolled them in the sand, and sliced them for us, YUMMY. I've like succulents ever since!

When I was a child we also would go up into the foothills near Tucson AZ and pick a 100 lbs or more and make [my mom would make] jelly and syrup, it was great on pancakes--I still like it to day--

If you are ever down by Reedley or Dinuba--Check out Jons Bear Club [south of Fresno]--or Dinuba-- the --Safari Club
I worked down there building greenhouses--those are my two favorite restaurants in California--although Louis Cairo's in Williams Ca. has the best Garlic bread I have ever had at any place-[ALLMOST AS GOOD AS CACTUS APPLES]

Michaelp, thanks for the restaurant info!!!! next time We go to the Grand Canyon via Williams I will rembember that, I do love garlic bread, actually garlic anything!!