Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa)

Family: Cactaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Cold-hardy native cactus with golden yellow blooms and delicious magenta fruits (tunas). Shrinks flat to survive sub-zero winter blizzards.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Shoots, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Late Summer, Fall

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Tender pads (nopales) taste tangy and lemony like green beans; ruby fruits taste like sweet watermelon and kiwi. — Singed over open fire to incinerate tiny glochid spines; Pads diced and sautéed with eggs or wild onions (huevos con nopales); Fruit pulp strained for deep magenta syrups, sorbets, and wild beverages; Pads pickled with vinegar, cumin, and Mexican oregano

Habitat & North American Range

Sandy barrens, rocky bluffs, open cedar glades, and coastal dunes. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)