Sign in Start free
Species library › Opuntia › Opuntia stricta
Succulents Well documented

Opuntia stricta

An upright, shrubby prickly pear of hot, sunny coastal sand and scrub around the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern United States. It needs full sun, warmth and a sharply draining sandy mix, and takes a cooler, drier winter in its stride. It is a serious invasive in Australia, Africa and Asia, so keep it contained and check local rules.

Opuntia stricta
Photo: Christian Ferrer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets 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

Coastal beach scrub, dunes and open sandy ground, and dry coastal forest understory in the Caribbean; quick to colonise hot, open sandy sites.

Mostly near sea level; one measured site in inland Tamaulipas sits at about 740 m. Few records carry an elevation.

AlabamaFloridaGeorgiaSouth CarolinaMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestMyanmar

🔒 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 stricta? 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 ficus-indica Opuntia engelmannii Opuntia galapageia Opuntia polyacantha Opuntia basilaris Opuntia humifusa 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 4.0 licence, unmodified.