Can You Name a New Mexico Native Plant that is Low Water, Low Maintenance, and Edible?

Consider the Spineless Prickly Pear; it is a Low Water, Low Maintenance, and Edible addition to your xeric garden. It will tolerate the heat and exposure of a west or south facing wall.

It is also a great choice where water is limiting or in areas that are hard to water like roadsides or medians or places where you must carry water out to. It has showy flowers that change color from yellow

to apricot.

The pads of the Spineless Prickly Pear are edible and so is it's fruit.

It lacks the formidable spines of other prickly pear so could be planted nearer garden pathways.

Pruning or shaping is easily accomplished using BBQ tongs and pruning shears

thus avoiding any of its glochids (teeny tiny spines).

Visit Trees That Please Nursery to view this prickly pear and other Native New Mexico cacti.

Tree That Please Nursery

An Albuquerque Area Nursery

Located in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Photos & Narrative By:

Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Comments

Anonymous said…

I had no idea there are spineless prickly pear cacti! Neat blog you have here. Glad I came across it.
Kk in Eastern NM

September 27, 2014 at 5:06 PM

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