Smooth Prickly Pear
4.7 out of 5 (29 experiences)
Survivor
Fast grower
About Smooth Prickly Pear
Smooth Prickly Pear is a super popular houseplant 🌿 that is isn’t challenging to grow and 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 being a survivor and a fast grower with a whopping 2513 being grown with Greg around the world. Check out the reviews below for more details!🌟
Smooth 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
Opuntia humifusa
Opuntia
Cactaceae
Caryophyllales
Also known as
Devil's-tongue, Eastern Prickly Pear, Indian fig and Opuntia vulgaris
How to care for Smooth Prickly Pear
How often to water your Smooth Prickly Pear
every 12
Smooth 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
Finding light for Smooth Prickly Pear in your home
a window
Smooth 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.
Smooth Prickly Pear does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Smooth Prickly Pear in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Smooth Prickly Pear
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 Smooth Prickly Pear after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Any way to help fix this discoloration? For some context, this didn’t just appear, it has been like this since I planted it. I wasn’t really sure if there’s a way to help it get greener like the rest of the plant, or if it’ll just always be like that. #HappyPlants #smoothpricklypear #CactuClique #Cactus
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My smooth prickly pear cactus, Prince, has 7 babies sprouting from him! I have had him for almost a month now and I’m so glad he didn’t die on me after all the struggle I went through with potting him. I had microscopic needles in my hands for DAYS after planting him. 🙄😭 #HappyPlants #CactusClique #smoothpricklypear #sproutbaby #sprout
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Why is my cactus floppy? 😅😂🌵 Hey #CactusClique and #Cactus loving Greggers, I have a problem. Why is my cactus so floppy? 😅 This guy is a #PricklyPearCactus, and he’s been growing this new pad for a couple months after flowering. The original pad was placed into the cactus soil unrooted with another prickly pear species, and two other pricklies have been added since then. His two lower pads have always been a little wrinkly, but over time they’ve been able to stand on their own without stakes… until now. I water when the soil is dry, I keep them under a plant light. And I try to support the floppy pad when it’s too slumped over. Any suggestions out there as to how I can help this guy?
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Hey #CactusClique and #Cactus loving Greggers, I have a problem. Why is my cactus so floppy? 😅 This guy is a #PricklyPearCactus, and he’s been growing this new pad for a couple months after flowering. The original pad was placed into the cactus soil unrooted with another prickly pear species, and two other pricklies have been added since then. His two lower pads have always been a little wrinkly, but over time they’ve been able to stand on their own without stakes… until now. I water when the soil is dry, I keep them under a plant light. And I try to support the floppy pad when it’s too slumped over. Any suggestions out there as to how I can help this guy?
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Cactus Concerns, part 2 Hello again! This is my #PricklyPearCactus, and they had some amazing blooms a few weeks ago. Now the blooms are weird, hollow stumps. Do I just leave those on? Or should I remove them? To be clear, I’m not talking about the new growth in the photo below; I’m talking about the weird little arms below it. 😂🌵🤷🏻 #cactusquestions #QueerPlantParents #afterblooms
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We've finally woken up here in the "north!" After a loooooong 6 month dormancy, every one of these guys is alive and popping off. Tons of new pads coming, and even the pads that broke off during planting made it through the winter and are growing. Pleasantly surprised that I didn't lose any during their first big freeze! Anyone else up here finally getting growth outside? #cactus #cactusclique #outdoorgrowing #succulentsquad #opuntia #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict
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Root Rot? #PricklyPearCactus my plant has started going soft and gray at the base— I held off on watering for a while, but want to know if this is redeemable ? Is it root rot? What’s the best move here!
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Why is my cactus wrinkled and squishy? A couple weeks ago Elvis started to wrinkle and become squishy, I water my cacti once a week but I figured maybe this cactus should be watered less so I began watering Elvis once every 2 weeks and it's only gotten worse. What do i do?
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I wasn't expecting these things to root so fast 😅😅😅 #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #rootporn #planttherapy #cactusclique
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I’m looking for a new pot for this baby since the one I have doesn’t have any drain hole but do prickly pears like more room or less room? I know succulents can be kind of picky I didn’t know if these guys are too #PricklyPearCactus
Care Summary for Smooth Prickly Pear
Smooth 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
Survivor 22
Fast grower 8
Easy to propagate 8
Blooms easily 3
Large, lush leaves 2
Browns easily 1
01/23/2022
I get nervous in the fall/early winter when he shrivels up…but always comes back with new growth.
Survivor
11/07/2021
Prickly pear cacti are really easy to care for. However, they do get quite large and tall. I was really surprised how big the cactus got despite being indoor and without grow lights. I keep him by the brightest spot in my apartment, in a south facing window. I let the pot soil aerate after watering by tilting it in the saucer so the draining hole doesn’t get moldy.
Fast grower
Survivor
09/24/2021
Easy to care for and always looks healthy. Also roots well so the little growths can be replanted for new Pricklies…
Easy to propagate
Survivor
09/02/2021
My experience with my prickly pear has been unique. I have a bearded dragon and they enjoy prickly pear as a special treat. So, I went to a local nursery and was given a free propagate with two existing buds from a friend. I have now had it for a month and a third bud has begun. My biggest note so far is that it is very slow growing (over the course of a month the third bud has only grown by a centimeter). However, the plant is hardy and took to the soil very well. Have some patience with this one!
Easy to propagate
Survivor
07/24/2021
Be careful. Doesn’t get its name for no reason. Very easy to get prickles from the one!!!
06/17/2021
Easy to maintain and forget about. Best in my bathroom so far.
Fast grower
Survivor
06/01/2021
I love this. I got him from a park near muse. My first succulent propagation. Super easy. Followed some online videos and tips and he has roots in no time. Let keep in mind my green thumb stays yellow and down.😁 He’s made me one happy plant mama.
Easy to propagate
Survivor
Browns easily
05/24/2021
Handle with heavy duty gloves when potting. It’s spines are tiny and hard to see. When they make contact with skin they’re painful and difficult to remove.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
04/08/2021
I just rescued this prickly pair. He rooted fast and is thriving. He will produce offshoots soon and is very interesting to look at.
Survivor
04/07/2021
I love my prickly pear. She is a rescue cactus and had no roots. I’v had her 1 month had she has 3 new growths. She’s beautiful.
Fast grower
Survivor
03/31/2021
I really love the look of cacti pads. 🌵
Survivor
03/31/2021
Super slow grower, but easy!
03/25/2021
When full grown the fruits and the fans are edible. However, you have to be very diligent in removing the spines.
Easy to propagate
Survivor
03/03/2021
It is a slow grower.
Survivor
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