How much sunlight does my Black-Spined Prickly Pear need?

Black-Spined Prickly Pear requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

How much humidity does Black-Spined Prickly Pear like?

Black-Spined Prickly Pear prefers dry environments . Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

What type of soil should I use for my Black-Spined Prickly Pear?

Black-Spined Prickly Pear is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!

Should I fertilize my Black-Spined Prickly Pear?

Black-Spined Prickly Pear grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer . Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

Does Black-Spined Prickly Pear go dormant?

It’s common for Black-Spined Prickly Pear to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.

Which region is Black-Spined Prickly Pear native to?

Black-Spined Prickly Pear is native to the Americas .

What is the growth pattern for Black-Spined Prickly Pear?

Black-Spined Prickly Pear grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

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Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Q: How often should I water my Black-Spined Prickly Pear?

Black-Spined Prickly Pear thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly . Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

5.0 out of 5 (1 experiences)

Easy to propagate

Survivor

About Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Black-Spined Prickly Pear is a relatively rare houseplant 🌿 that needs very little water to thrive. They do best in long-lasting, direct light ☀️ and should be less than 1 foot from a window.

Plant parents describe this plant as easy to propagate and being a survivor with only 37 being grown with Greg around the world. Check out the reviews below for more details!🌟

Black-Spined Prickly Pear likes soil that is extremely well-draining. Your plant shouldn't need added fertilizers if you repot each time it doubles in size.

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Opuntia macrocentra

Genus

Opuntia

Family

Cactaceae

Order

Caryophyllales

Also known as

Longspine pricklypear, Long-spined purplish prickly pear, Purple pricklypear, Purple Prickly Pear and opuntia violacea

How to care for Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Water

How often to water your Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Black-Spined Prickly Pear needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

Light

Check the growing potential in your area

A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.

Select a city to check sunlight intensity

Finding light for Black-Spined Prickly Pear in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Black-Spined Prickly Pear: 1ft from a window

Black-Spined Prickly Pear love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Black-Spined Prickly Pear does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Black-Spined Prickly Pear in your home 🏡.

Nutrients

How to fertilize Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Black-Spined Prickly Pear: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Black-Spined Prickly Pear after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

FAQs

Water Needs

Sunlight Needs

Toxicity

Humidity

Soil

Fertilizer

Dormancy

Native Region

Growth Pattern

Care Summary for Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Black-Spined Prickly Pear

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Easy to propagate 1

Survivor 1

@@NishLaursen

36 Plants

803 XP

Arvada, CO

06/27/2021

Easy to care for since its a cactus, doesn’t require a lot of water, easy to propagate but be careful and ware rubber gloves it has very fine prickly hairs on the paddles near the long black spines.

Easy to propagate

Survivor