Revealed!! Nopal Cactus What Is It Wednesday

#WhatIsItWednesday has been revealed!!! Thank you for everyone who participated. We hope you enjoy learning about this plant in the video below.

This week's plant was Nopal Cactus which is commonly called Prickly Pear Cactus. There are several native species here in Florida and they all fall under the genus Opuntia. I believe the species in the video below is Opuntia cochenillifera which is also sometimes labeled as Nopalea cochenillifera.

This species is spineless and the pads, flowers, and buds, are 100 % edible. Care should be taken to remove small hair-like fibers that can irritate the mouth, throat, and GI tract. This can be done by searing the outer skin of the pad, or by peeling the pad like you would an apple. There is a gooey sap inside the pads that is usually boiled out due to the unpleasant texture.

If you are interested in adding this plant to your Food Forest, please head over to our online nursery and see if we have any pads available. They are super easy to root, but require patience. Roots take longer than most to form, but require little care from the gardener to do so.

See you..........................