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CoronaCactus Nursery LLC. �Cactus & Succulent
growers. |
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Plant of the Month June 2009 � Prickly Pear
Cactus Opuntia scheeri Cactaceae (Cactus Family) Form: Opuntia scheeri is a shrubby sprawling cactus. It
can grow to several feet tall and double to triple that in width. The cladodes (pads) are a good size, averaging 12-14� long and
8-10� wide. The spines are very short, yet very numerous. They
spread out to almost completely cover the cladode. Golden yellow in color
with redish copper areoles. Older lower cladodes in
time will form a woody or corked appearance, which is perfectly normal for Opuntia�s. The habitat for Opuntia
scheeri is Guanajuato and Queretaro de Arteaga in Size: Typically growing
to around 3-5ft in height and 8-12ft in width. Like almost all Opuntias, this is a fast grower. Once established it can
grow 5-10 new pads each season. Flowers/Fruit: The flowers of Opuntia scheeri are quite large, 3.5� to
4� in diameter. They start out a very bright yellow, but fade to a
salmon/peach color in as little as a few hours. Contrasted nicely by the dark
green stigma. The fruit is also rather large, 2� to 2.5� tall and 1� to 1.5�
in diameter and covered in spines slightly longer than those of the cladodes.
The fruit ripens to a very dark red and will fall off the plant. This plant
is a reliable yearly bloomer, starting in April and going through to June. Sun/Water: Opuntia scheeri can take full sun with
no shade protection. Water normally during the spring/summer and leave dry in
fall and winter. Propagation: Cuttings or seed.
With Opuntia�s, it�s much easier to propagate via
vegetative cuttings than growing from seed. Cuttings root easily and quickly.
Seeds may require prior preparation to get good germination. Fresh seeds are
always best and often germinate without any special treatment at all. Books/Websites: There is very
little information out there on this particular specie, beit
in books or on the web. So the information presented here is from our own
personal experience with this plant over the past 4-5 years. More websites can be found on our Reference Links page. |
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Notes regarding O.
scheeri hardiness: A pad cutting was
sent to a friend in |
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Aged flower
starting to fade |
Flower and
developing buds |
Newly opened
flowers showing their bright yellow color |
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New flower bud
growth |
Old cladode with
ripening fruit |
New growth just
starting to emerge |
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New cladode growth |
Showing its
prostrate growth habit |
1 year old cladodes |
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Closeup of flower bud |
New cladode spines
and areoles |
New areole and
spines closeup |
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Closeup of 1yr old areole
and spines. Notice the crater like form of the sunken tubercle. Not nearly as
pronounced as on the new growth. Those are much more tuberculate. |
1yr old cladode
spines and areoles |
3yr old cladode
areoles starting to harden and turn grey. With age, the spines will also turn
grey. |
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Photo from Spring
2009 |
Photo from summer
2006 It�s shrubby,
prostrate growth doesn�t take long to take up its share of garden space. As the plant fills
in and thickens, it will start to grow taller as the cladodes support each
other. |
Photo from Spring
2009 |
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All photos taken are
from our personal collection or of our sales plants. (Except where
noted) |
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Plant of the Month Archives June 2008 � Cylindropuntia bigelovii July 2008 � Ferocactus cylindraceus var.
cylindraceus August 2008 � Echinocereus engelmannii November 2008 � Pachypodium namaquanum December 2008 � Copiapoa humilis ssp. humilis January 2009 � Turbinicarpus lophophoroides February 2009 � Astrophytum asterias April 2009 � Thelocactus bicolor May 2009 � Mammillaria theresea |
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2009 CoronaCactus Nursery LLC.������������������ ������������������������������������Page
Update:
All photos are
property of CoronaCactus Nursery LLC.� (except where noted)������������������������ ����5-31-09