What kind of Opuntia cactus is this?
I saw many of such cactus plants in the south-east of Spain growing wild. I know it is called Opuntia or Prickly pear cactus. But there are so many Opuntia species, so I am not sure what kind of Opuntia it is.
Is the fruit of this Prickly pear edible? Thank you!
Opuntia cactus Prickly pear
I am not sure which type of Opuntia this is. It looks to me like Opuntia ovata or Opuntia ficus-indica. As far as I know, the most common culinary species is the Indian fig opuntia (Opuntia ficus-indica). Most culinary uses of the term “prickly pear” refer to this species.
Seems, in genus Opuntia, the edible prickly pears are
- Opuntia ficus-indica
- Opuntia matudae
- Opuntia fragilis
I believe this is Opuntia ficus-indica ‘Burbank Spineless’. Fruit and stems (pads, nopales) are edible. Can be used for syrup and jelly and making candies also.
