Opuntia ficus-indica

The Indian fig or nopal, a large tree-like prickly pear domesticated in central Mexico and now grown in dry regions worldwide. It wants full sun, deep free-draining soil and a dry winter. It tolerates brief frost but not prolonged hard freezes.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Semi-arid scrub and farmland in the Mexican highlands, on deep, well-drained, often sandy soils. Wild populations are hard to tell apart from old plantings.

The weighted climate sites sit at roughly 1,500–1,900 m on the Mexican plateau. A few records come from near the coast.

Mexico (central and southwest)

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Opuntia ficus-indica? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Opuntia

Opuntia engelmannii Opuntia galapageia Opuntia polyacantha Opuntia basilaris Opuntia humifusa Opuntia stricta Opuntia fragilis Opuntia macrocentra Opuntia macrorhiza Opuntia sulphurea Opuntia aciculata Opuntia microdasys All 171 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.