How to Propagate Prickly Pear Cactus

A video clip showing the aerial roots of a prickly pear pad and planting a prickly pear in a container.

A step-by-step overview of how to propagate prickly pear cactus! It’s so so easy. Promise.

Prickly Pear cactus, or optunia humifusa is one of the most iconic of the cacti family. With their yummy fruit and gorgeous flowers they are iconic and quite simply one of the more stunning cacti. I believe that when people think of cacti they either picture a giant Saruaro with its funny arms or the prickly pear with its ovaleque pads and pink fruit. Both are beauties, one is easier to work with!

To propagate prickly pear cactus you need only a donor plant or any fallen prickly pear “pad”. The pad is essentially the teardrop-shaped green ‘leaf’. You will want to select the PERFECT specimen because this is the base for your future plant and will determine the overall aesthetic of your plant. You want to be quite selective as the pads are bare and hence you will be looking at it for the future of this plant. Select for overall shape and thickness and do try to find a specimen that is blemish-free and disease-free. Keep an eye out for any signs of fungus or mold and avoid this at all costs.

Ways to collect Pricky Pear Pads

FIRST OF ALL, BE SURE TO USE THICK GLOVES! The tiny, thin spikes of these cacti are easy to transfer to your skin and hard to find and remove. Wear gloves when handling at all stages. The spines don’t look like much but they will indeed get you.

• From a live plant - Using gloves and a knife, gently hold the pad in one hand while you carefully cut the join of the pad to the pad supporting it. Take special care not to harm the supporting pad.

• From a fallen pad - Select any fallen pad that appeals to you and appears disease-free.

How to plant your Prickly Pear Pad, yes you can plant it in a container.

Once you’ve selected your perfect prickly pear pad you will want to NEGLECT it essentailly. I’m being serious - you must set it aside for at least a month and let nature do its thing. These plants are incredibly hardy and have existed and propagated without our help for years and years so trust me, your precious pads will be just fine for a bit. You’ve done the important part of the selection, now it’s a waiting game. Over time this genius plant will put out aerial roots somewhere on its body that are visible so you will absolutely know when it is time to plant it in soil.

While you wait, place your prickly pear pad in a place that is dry and out of direct sun. Check on your pad about 4 weeks after you’ve collected it. You will eventually notice little roots protruding from the edge of your pad AND this may not be at the pointed edge where it once connected to the mother plant. I find this quite joyful and a pleasant surprise and super exciting! Once there are a few strong-looking roots you can then place them in a specialty soil for succulents and cacti and the container of your choice. I would recommend using a terra cotta as it does not trap water. It is important to use soil for succulents and cacti as overwatering this plant is a sure way to harm it. Cacti and succulent soil ensure that the water does not stay in contact with the prickly pear for too long.

When placing your pad into the soil, do not submerge it too deep into the soil to avoid rot. Just deep enough to cover the base. I recommend using wooden dowels or chopsticks to brace the pad from the front and back while it establishes more roots and becomes stable.

Watering Prickly Pear Cacti

As mentioned above, prickly pear cacti HATE to be overwatered or sit in wet soil. Think drainage, drainage, drainage! It barely needs any water and will show you visible when it does. I know you want to nurture your prickly pear baby and be the best cacti parent in the whole wide world but do not hover or helicopter parent. You are indeed caring for it by NOT overwatering. Let them tell you when they are thirsty, and they will. Look for signs of shriveling then it’s time. They look thirsty. Then it’s time to water AND because you used succulent and cacti soil the water will be just right and your plant will thrive. When you do water, it only needs a little bit to dampen the soil. If any water collects in any tray you may have under your cactus then be sure to empty it. The most important thing to keep in mind is that this IS a cactus, not a house plant - water it minimally.

Can I prune my prickly pear?

You can! Simply using gloves and a knife, remove or separate pads. Think of it as bonsai. You can always use the removed pads to propagate more plants.

Prickly Pear Diseases

Sadly there is one disease to look out for with prickly pears. They are susceptible to phyllosticta which is a fungus. This is also called leaf spot disease and there is no way to cure your plant from it. You can however remove pads that are affected. If it is your only pad then I would recommend starting over as this can spread to other plants. You want to catch it early and avoid it. Otherwise, these cacti are quite hardy.

Does prickly pear cactus grow fast? How long does it take for a prickly pear cactus to bear fruit?

This is not a fast-growing cacti. It can take about 3-5 years for significant growth and to come close to bearing fruit. But this is no matter as from the first pad this special cactus is full of personality and charm. That year your plant does produce a flower and the fruit is going to be magical and well worth the wait! This cactus is gorgeous as a single pad and so full of promise.

Prickly Pear Origin

Prickly pear originates in the Americas and thrives in the desert regions where their root system is well adapted to sourcing water.