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Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus - Opuntia humifusa
Family: Cactaceae
Eastern prickly pear is a prostrate or spreading cactus with oblong,
flattened pads 2-6 inches long, with sharp spines. The showy flowers
appear in late spring and early summer. They are bright yellow and 3-4
inches across. The edible egg shaped fruits are called "tunas" and are
reddish green, and 2-3 inches long.
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There are over 200 species of prickly
pear cactuses. Most are found in southwestern North
America, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Opuntia humifusa is native to the United States east of
the Rockies, where it grows in dry, sandy soils in open
pine woods, prairies and scrub. Prickly pear is easy to
grow, rooting readily from pads stuck in the ground, or
even just lying on the surface. Grows best in full sun,
in dry, sandy soil. Drought tolerant and requires
well-drained conditions; will not tolerate soggy ground.
USDA zones 5-10. |
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The sweet juicy fruits of the prickly pear,
called tunas, are very popular everywhere except
the United States. In fact, annual worldwide
commercial production of prickly pear tunas is
more than twice that of strawberries, avocados,
or apricots! The pads, called nopales, are a
popular vegetable in Mexico and Central America.
They are usually cooked but can be eaten raw.
They taste a little like green beans.
Prickly pear spines are easy enough to avoid,
but watch out for the glochids, tiny hairlike
bristles that occur in little tufts. They are
barbed and can cause skin irritation for hours
after contact.
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The coat of arms of Mexico
depicts a Mexican golden eagle, perched upon an
Opuntia cactus, devouring a snake. According to
the official story of México, the coat of arms
of Mexico was inspired by an Aztec legend
regarding the founding of Tenochtitlan. The
Aztecs, then a nomadic tribe, were wandering
throughout Mexico in search of a divine sign
that would indicate the precise spot upon which
they were to build their capital. Their god
Huitzilopochtli had commanded them to find an
eagle devouring a snake, perched atop a cactus
that grew on a rock submerged in a lake. After
two hundred years of wandering, they found the
promised sign on a small island in the swampy
Lake Texcoco. It was there they founded their
new capital, Tenochtitlan. The cactus (Opuntia
ficus-indica), full of its fruits, called
"tenochtli" in Nahuatl, represent the island of
Tenochtitlan.
The stems of Opuntia, called nopales, are
commonly used in Mexican cuisine in dishes such
as huevos con nopales (eggs with nopal), or
"tacos de nopales". Nopales are also an
important ingredient in New Mexican cuisine.
In Israel, the prickly pear is called tzabar and
it is the origin of the slang term Sabra,
meaning a native-born Israeli Jew.
--From Wikipedia |
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