Opuntia Blog

Opuntia ficus-indica, proposed for fighting desertification

Opuntia are considered a weedy species in many countries where they are not native, especially in the Mediteranean, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The plants have overrun farmlands and degraded natural habitats. However, at least sometimes, Opuntia are considered allies in the fight against the spread of deserts.

A newspaper reports that,

“The Federal Government has recommended that “Cactus Opuntia” plant should be used to combat desertification in Nigeria, Minister of Environment Mr John Odey has said.

He made the statement on Tuesday in Abuja at a sensitisation workshop on the “Utilization of Cactus Opuntia to combat desertification, organised by Interact Safety System Ltd.He said that the plant was selected, due to its potential in erosion control and land rehabilitation, especially in the arid and semi-arid zones of the country.”

I guess that one man’s poison is another man’s food. Read more about the use of Opuntia to fight desertification here and here.

Delosperma basuticum, 'White Nugget'

I’ve looked around the Web, trying to find places to order various plants. I didn’t find many that offerred Delosperma basuticum ‘White Nugget’. But, I did find a couple of places, one of them is Laporte Avenue Nursery in Colorado. They offer a number of cold-hardy and unusual plants (many rock garden items).

They actually offer a variety of Delosperma plants, including one from Yemen (D. harazianum [currently unavailable]). The various Delosperma plants seem to cost $5.00, plus shipping and handling.

A quick check of their Web site showed they also offer Opuntia polyacantha, O. aurea, (listed as O. basilaris v. aurea), and some sedums. The Web site is well designed and easy to use.

Othonna capensis

Othonna capensis is not an ice plant, but you could be forgiven for supposing it was. It has succulent little leaves that call an ice plant to mind, and both are from South Africa. And the cheery yellow flowers seem a bit ice plant-like.

However, O. capensis, also known as little pickles, is a member of the sunflower family. It is hardy into USDA climate zone 5 and loves a sunny spot.

You can buy O. capensis from Shoal Creek Succulents.

Hoodia species, image from Wikimedia

Hoodia species are related to the desert rose (Adenium) and to oleanders. All are members of the Apocynaceae.

“Hoodia gordonii is a leafless spiny succulent plant with medicinal uses. It grows naturally in South Africa and Namibia. The flowers smell like rotten meat and are pollinated mainly by flies…Hoodia gordonii was discovered and painted by in the vicinity of the Orange River in about 1779, and identified as a Stapelia, a closely related genus.”

 If you think all the claims about H. gordonii are too good to be true, maybe you are right. The plant has been proposed to treat depression, obesity, and gastric reflux disease.

 H. gordonii grows in summer rainfall areas of South Africa; it prefers to grow in summer and should be watered then. In the winter the plants like it cool and dry. H. gordonii (and probably most Hoodia) can survive a bit of frost (2 to 5 degrees F).

Learn more about the Apocynaceae here. Learn more about Hoodia gordonii here.

Sansevieria cylindrica, click on image to visit Stokes Tropicals

Sansevieria cylindrica is a beautiful plant from Africa. It is not a permanent plant in the garden in most parts of the USA because it is frost tender. However, it does well in a flower pot and the long beautiful leaves can reach 2-foot-long; thus, it is an attractive garden plant in summer (in the shade) and a great house plant in winter.

Sansevieria cylindrica is as easy to grow as your grandmother’s Sansevieria, but it is more exotic looking because of the cylindrical leaves with their pointed tips. It is sometimes called “African spear” plant, or the skyline plant. These plants survive being rootbound, too much shade, and long droughts. They survive the hot dry air of winter apartments and the damp summers of Houston.

Sansevieria cylindrica is offered for sale by Stokes Tropicals. For more information click here.

Chasmatophyllum musculinum, click for original image at Northern Nursery, photo by Martin Ravn Tversted

Chasmatophyllum musculinum is a super hardy member of the Mesembryanthemaceae (ice plant family). It survives in Denver (USDA climate zone 5), but it dies in spring wet weather in other zone 5 areas (eg, see Arrowhead Perennials note). One Web site reports that the species survives in Kansas without special protection (but presumably the plants have very good drainage).

The foliage is succulent and forms a mat, perhaps 1-2 inches tall and 6-12 inches wide. The cheerful yellow flowers are heaviest in Spring, and sporadic thereafter. The plant grows in full sun or light shade. Plants have survived Kansas winters without special protection.

The photo shows a plant grown in Denmark, at Northern Nursery. Photo by Martin Ravn Tversted.

For more information click here.

Delosperma ‘Mesa Verde’ has two names; it is also known as Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’. Apparently, ‘Kelaidis’ came up as a chance seedling in the Denver Botanic Garden, perhaps as a cross between D. cooperi and D. nubigenum. The seedling was popularized by Dr. Panayoti Kelaidis. Somehow it got two names; the ‘Kelaidis’ name is popular because Dr. Kelaidis did much work to popularize Delosperma plants in cold areas along with his overall rock garden work.

‘Kelaidis’ forms a green mat of succulent grown 2-5 inches tall, and has salmon pink flowers that have a metalic sheen. ‘Kelaidis’ is reported to be hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4-8. As a bloomer it seems to be a great plant, various sources suggest that it blooms off and on from late spring till fall. Though it does fine in many USA locations, Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’ is originally from Africa.

For more information click here, and here. Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’ is offered for sale by various vendors, including the Wyoming Plant Company.

Delosperma 'kelaidis' (Mesa Verde), click image to find vendor Web page

Delosperma nubigenum

I suspect there are more types, but I’ve come up with a list of 20 species and selections of Delosperma that are very hardy (to USDA climate zone 4).

Plant                                                    USDA Climate Zone

• Delosperma aberdeenense                               6
• Delosperma ashtonii                                        6
• Delosperma basuticum                                    5
• Delosperma brunnthaleri                                 6
• Delosperma congestum                                   4b/5
• Delosperma cooperi                                        5
• Delosperma deleeuwiae                                  5
• Delosperma dyeri                                            5
• Delosperma floribundum                                6
• Delosperma herbeum                                      6
• Delosperma nubigenum                                  4
• Delosperma sphalmantiodes                           5
• Delosperma sutherlandii                                 6
• Delosperma ‘Osberg’,                                     6                     
• Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’                                     6
• Delosperma ‘Beaufort West’                           6b
• Delosperma ‘Gold Nugget’                             5
• Delosperma ‘John Proffit’                               4/5
• Delosperma ‘Lavender Ice’                             4/5

It is hard to know how far, and where, cactus species have spread and become established. This great photo shows Opuntia dillenii in the Canary Islands. The photo was provided by http://www.ecosystema.ru/08nature/world/52ten/031e.htm.

Opuntia dillenii, Tenerife

Prickly pear is one of the common names for Opuntia, especially when referring to the fruits, which are indeed prickly with glochids. Many animals and birds have been observed eating prickly pears, and undoutedly these assist in disseminating the Opuntia seeds.

Red prickly pears in South Africa, click image for original blog article

South Africa has been the home of Opuntia (several types) for hundreds of years. The plants were introduced for fruit, or for cochineal production, as fodder for animals, or perhaps to provide a green vegetable to prevent scurvy in sailors. Opuntia have been the subject of various agricultural or popular publications.

Fluffy white cochineal insect on Opuntia, in South Africa, click image to see original blog and photo

The cochineal insect (Dactylopius opuntiae) has a long history in the New World; it was used by Native Americans to make a red dye (the insects a squashed and release a bright red pigment). Eventually, the insect spread to Africa, Asia, and Australia–just about where ever Opuntia species became naturalized. 

In South Africa the cochineal insect is used as a form of biological control, and it has been helpful (see abstract)  in reducing the numbers of unwanted Opuntia plants throughout much of the country.

The image in this post came from an Opuntia in South Africa. Click on the image to read the original post.

Lemur catta in Opuntia, click image for original article by Lisa Kelly

It seems that crows and baboons are not the only animals that eat the fruits of Opuntia introduced into Africa. In a Web article from Lisa Kelly (Washington University at St. Louis) it is reported that Lemurs (Lemur catta) eat the fruits of O. ficus-indica and O. stricta).

This might be important in Madagascar where much of the native habitat has been destroyed. It may be that some Lemurs can derive some benefit from introduced species of plants.

“In the extreme south of Madagascar, Lemur catta regularly utilize the introduced cactus species, Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia stricta. This finding is significant as the habitat of this region, which is comprised of these cactus species as well as xerophytic Didiereaceae-Euphorbiaceae forest , represents over 90% of this species’ potential range. Moreover, the use of cacti as a primary ecotone for a primate species has never before been documented.”