Spineless Prickly Pear

Opuntia humifusa

Eastern prickly pear is the only cactus native to most of the eastern United States, and it's a dramatic one. Flat, succulent green pads spread low to the ground through dry summers, then open large, silky yellow flowers in June and July that look almost tropical in their intensity. The pads turn reddish-purple in winter. an unexpected and genuinely beautiful color change that few perennials can claim. The spineless variety is more garden-friendly than the standard species, lacking the painful small glochids that make most prickly pear unpleasant to work around. It handles the worst droughty, sandy, rocky conditions in full sun without any supplemental water once established. A true conversation plant. visitors always notice it, always ask about it.