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Cactus

Opuntia monacantha

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Botanical fact sheet

Opuntia monacantha Haw.

⚙ Automatic base data
Taxonomy
Family: Cactaceae · Genus: Opuntia1
Native distribution
North America, Oceania, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil South, Paraguay, Uruguay, Global, Brazil, Franceuncertain3
Conservation status
LC Least concern (IUCN)56
Synonyms
4 synonyms
  • Opuntia arechevaletae Speg.
  • Opuntia lemaireana Console ex F.A.C.Weber
  • Opuntia lemaireana Console, 1898
  • Opuntia monocantha (Willd.) Haw.
2

Opuntia monacantha, commonly known as drooping prickly pear, cochineal prickly pear, or Barbary fig, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae native to South America.

Still missing: plant type, natural habitat, height / growth form, flowering period, growth & dormancy period.

Sources (9)
  1. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy – Opuntia monacantha · Scientific name · CC BY 4.0
  2. GBIF – synonyms · Synonyms · CC BY 4.0
  3. GBIF – distributions (Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS); The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP); The IUCN Red List of Thre) · Native distribution · CC BY 4.0
  4. Wikidata – Q311192 · CC0
  5. Wikidata – IUCN Red List status (P141) · Conservation status · CC0
  6. IUCN Red List · Conservation status
  7. Wikimedia Commons – Opuntia monacantha.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0
  8. Wikipedia (de) – Opuntia monacantha · CC BY-SA 4.0
  9. Wikipedia (en) – Opuntia monacantha · CC BY-SA 4.0
Community knowledge

Tips & experience from members

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Real data

How members water it

Not enough logs yet: at least 3 plants with regular watering logs are needed (now: 0). Waterings logged in Care feed this – anonymised and aggregated.

Care guidelines

How it thrives

Partly general data for the genus Opuntia
Waterlow
Lightfull sun
Humiditylowgeneral genus data
Min. temperature5 °C
Cold winter dormancy · general genus dataDifficulty: ●○○○○ · general genus data✓ Not known to be toxic · general genus data

No monthly schedule is shown because cultivar-/species-level data is not yet sufficient. The general values above are guidance only.

Opuntia tip: Its tiny glochids lodge in skin – handle it with tongs or folded newspaper.

⚠ Pets & children · genus Opuntia
Not known to be toxic 🐱 🐶 🧒details →

Glochids injure skin and mouth. De-spined pads are great tortoise food.

At a glance

Opuntia monacantha – what to know

Opuntia monacantha – family: Cactaceae, genus: Opuntia. Native range: North America, Oceania, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil South, Paraguay, Uruguay, Global, Brazil, France. Care guidelines: light: full sun; water: low; min. 5 °C. It is not known to be toxic to cats or dogs.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Opuntia monacantha?

Sparingly: let the soil dry out completely between waterings, and water even less in winter.

How much light does Opuntia monacantha need?

It needs plenty of direct sun – the sunniest window, or outdoors in summer, suits it best.

How cold can Opuntia monacantha get?

Keep it above 5 °C – it is frost-tender and needs a frost-free spot in winter.

Is Opuntia monacantha toxic to cats and dogs?

It is not known to be toxic to cats or dogs.

When does Opuntia monacantha flower?

According to the general guideline for the genus Opuntia: Typical flowering time: May, June.

Community intelligence

What members’ data shows

When does it really bloom?

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Average watering interval

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Questions about this species

Same genus

Opuntia

Data sources: GBIF.org – Opuntia monacantha (CC BY 4.0) · Wikidata – Q311192 (CC0) · Wikimedia Commons – Opuntia monacantha.jpg (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikipedia – Opuntia monacantha (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Care data is for guidance only.

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