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Eastern Prickly Pear blooming for the first time! (pxlmo.com)

submitted 2 years ago by MxRemy@lemmy.one to c/gardening@thegarden.land

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I've had it (Opuntia humifusa) for years. Every year it got a little bigger but never flowered. Looks like this year was finally the year! They're all gone now, but the fruits have taken their place. Can't wait to have some 🤤

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[–] admin@thegarden.land 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Those flowers! Wow I was not expecting such a show! What zone are you in?

[–] MxRemy@lemmy.one 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

6b, southeast Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Afaik these are the only opuntias native here? They seem pretty happy and low maintenance!

[–] admin@thegarden.land 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Wow and you can eat them? You’ll have to report back what it’s like

[–] MxRemy@lemmy.one 2 points 2 years ago

Yup! I haven't had the fruit from this particular Opuntia species but they generally taste a lot like watermelon to me. You can eat the pads themselves too, but mine is so small I don't wanna inconvenience it 🥺

[–] argentcorvid@midwest.social 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I have had this one prickly pear for 10 years and it's never flowered.

Looked it up and it appears that it may be a fragilis which mostly just propagate vegetatively. 😪

It survived many northern Minnesota winters before I had it at my grandparents house though.

[–] MxRemy@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago

Well if it propagates particularly quickly, the pads are also pretty tasty! Use a flame to remove the glocids and scrape with a knife to remove the spines. Look up "nopal" for recipes, they have kind of a nice gel instead that's good for thickening stuff, kinda like okra!