Adopting an orphaned cactus
A few weeks ago, while visiting Palm Springs, California, I came upon several pieces of prickly pear cactus just scattered about on the ground. There had been a recent storm in Palm Springs with very heavy winds and the cactus had been blown about. Very carefully, I packed up some spiny sections and brought the orphans home.
The prickly pear isn’t really a pear at all, but rather the fruit of several species of cactus, native to the hot regions of the Americas. Although the various species can differ in size and appearance, in general the prickly pear cactus is characterized by flat, fleshy, spiny pads stacked one on another. They can grow to a height of just a few inches, or up to six feet or more. In season, the cactus produces beautiful flowers that may be bright yellow (the most common color), red, or purple. The blooms eventually ripen into tasty, pear-shaped fruits, also referred to as tunas. Beneath a prickly skin, the flesh is orange or red and has a pleasant, sweet, melon-like flavor, which may be eaten on its own or added to fruit salads. The flavor is enhanced with a sprinkling of lemon or lime juice. Prickly pear also makes delicious jams, jellies, and even sorbets.
The fleshy, spiny pads of the cactus are also edible. Very popular in the Southwest and in Mexico, the pads, known as nopales, they have a flavor similar to green bell pepper. They’re stripped of their spines and peeled, then they’re cut into pieces and added to salads or cooked or pickled in various ways.
Martha,
You are a true gardner finding every opportunity to foster a new plant. There is a "thornless" prickly pear that you may find more friendly; still has some thorns and produces flowers and tuna. There is some insect that is attacted to the prickly pear that is used as a dye in Mexico.
Posted by: PortAPelican | April 29th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Hi Martha,
My daughters both love cacti and grow several varieties. They are the only plants that grow well in their cold bedroom.
I'm a potter and I just fired my kiln, preparing for a show. Check out my blog where I posted photos and a video about my kiln firing.
http://potsnpies.blogspot.com
Posted by: Pamela Regentin | April 29th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Martha, I have a huge prickly pear growing intertwined with a palo verde tree in my chicken habitat. I whack them down and the chickens and pheasants love them. They are tasty when prepared like green beans.
Posted by: Kathleen Branton | April 29th, 2009 at 1:00 am
Martha,adopting an orphaned cactus what is next?
I can't wait to hear of your summer adventures- you keep me on pins and needles!!!!(just playing with you)
BTW,the other day on your show you said you had never sky jumped,any time you want to sky dive I can give you tips. I used to skydive- having poor vision made it easy. I couldn't see well so I wasn't scared of jumping out of planes you'd have a blast Martha youcan d anything you set your mind to then again you are most likely not allowed through insurance and we don't want to lose you!(just teasing her folks - relax LOL!)
How did you get this cactus home on the plane or did you fly private and have no problems bringing this on board? So many rules what can or can't be brought as carry on.
At first glance with my bad vision I thought it was a pie and you were showing a pie you had made until I adjusted my focus and studied it~
Pam from California
Posted by: Pam From California | April 29th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Hi Martha,
Great photos of the planting process for these cactus pieces. I look forward to seeing the progress of these pieces in a year.
I found an old video clip of Emeril and wanted to share it with you.
http://www.pbs.org/video/video/1094273768
Enjoy!
~Gloria
Posted by: Gloria Brown, Winterport | April 29th, 2009 at 7:29 am
You amaze me Martha! I would never think of bringing something like that home to plant. I would just make sure I didn't step on it! Have you ever stepped on a thorn sticking straight up? Ouch! My neighbor has bougainvillea that I have to steer clear of when she trims. Well now I can't wait to see how well your cacti grows and what you will do with it. It looks great the way you have it in one pot. Good luck with it. Trish
P.S. Congratulations on getting over 500,000 followers on Twitter. My name is in there somewhere at the beginning. LOL
Posted by: Trish | April 29th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Martha - thank you for the GREAT screening tip for the drain hole. My husband and I recently cleaned out our little garage and I found a ceramic turtle planter, but it had no holes, so he drilled a couple into the bottom and they were a little bigger than I wanted them, but now I can put some screening over them and it will be perfect!!!!! You are awesome!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Julie | April 29th, 2009 at 9:10 am
You're welcome to visit my garden and collect fallen pieces of prickly pear or cholla any time! I love that nopales taste a lot like green beans only better.
Posted by: lisaiscooking | April 29th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Ur like Angelina Jolie: adopting cacti, cats, dogs, chickens, horses, birds.
Where's Brad Pitt???
Posted by: Norbie Kamantigue | April 29th, 2009 at 10:48 am
This reminded me of when a person a few miles up from me cleaned out a flower bed and dug up the cactus there. It was laying in the trash and I thought it was such a waste that I picked up a few pieces to root at home. I walked back to my house with it in my hands thinking as long as I didn't touch the thorns I would be fine. I did not know it had many little tiny "hairs" and by the time I got home, sweaty, I was covered in them. The cactus went into the trash and I was several days with an itchy rash from the experience. I no longer pick thru peoples trash for plants.
Posted by: Delisa | April 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Hi again Martha,
An island, Frenchboro, in Maine will be examined on the Oprah show today.
I was wondering if you can see Frenchboro from Skylands?
Posted by: Gloria Brown, Winterport | April 29th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Would love to hear more about your trip to Palm Springs - photos too, please!
Posted by: Beth | April 29th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
The cactus you potted grows in one of my flower gardens here in Mexico, MO, zone 5. I have to chop it back each spring. It is rather invasive if left untended. It is a hard and dangerous job that I hate! And then if I put it in my compost it just starts growing there. . . It is NOT one of my favorite plants even though I have lots of people admire it and its blooms. Please be careful.
Posted by: sue austin | April 29th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I tasted Prickly Pear jelly for the first time when I was twelve years old and spending the summer in Arizona. I had it on toast and it was DELICIOUS! It had a very fresh flavor and not too sweet. I'm thirty-three now and have not had it since-I live in UpState New York and I can't seem to find it here.
Posted by: Shannon Hooper-Cintron | April 29th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I just lost 2 of my potted plants, one a prickly pear cactus, it was about 25 years old(never thought you could kill it but I forgot to bring it in and it froze...also forgot my 38 year old potted Asparagus fern ouside and it froze...I know this sound silly, but I cried as they where part of my life for many years, moving them from California, to Missouri and then here to Wisconsin, they had been with me in many places for many years.
Posted by: delia | April 29th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Hi Martha, Thanks for this fascinating information about prickly pear cactus. I have always found cactus to be really great and fun to grow. I've never grown prickly pear or even seen it in person. How lucky you were to find some on the ground and be able to bring it home to plant. Shaun did a great job of planting it and I can't wait to see how they turn out. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | April 29th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Dear Martha
Not sure if your orphan prickly pear is like the prickly pear introduced into Australia at first settlement and now a noxious weed, but it sure looks like it.
See this website for details of it's introduction into Australia and the problems it has caused. Be careful as Sue Austin has warned.
http://www.northwestweeds.nsw.gov.au/prickly_pear_history
Best wishes from Australia
Posted by: Marian Fabb | April 30th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Dear Martha
Correction to my last comment, here's the full URL, sorry for inconvenience.
http://www.northwestweeds.nsw.gov.au/prickly_pear_history.htm
Posted by: Marian Fabb | April 30th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Just like magic.
That's good ole Mother Nature.
Posted by: Marie | May 1st, 2009 at 2:43 am
Bolthouse Farms has a Prickly Pear Cactus Lemonade that is really good: http://www.bolthouse.com/html/cs_cactus_n.html
Posted by: Brad | May 1st, 2009 at 11:30 am
Hello Martha I also have an orphaned cactus, mine is at my moms in Fl. it was on the beach in Fl on the gulf of Mexico so I put a little cutting near the house. WOW it grows fast. the mother plant is now gone,new walk way in its place.(SAD) My sister said the jelly is good but dose not know how to make it. I also have 2 cactus that grows in Mi. I don't know the name. I have a snap shot on my space page ,the crazy flower lady zone 5<? Michigan
Posted by: Crazy Flower Lady | May 19th, 2009 at 9:46 am