Species library › Opuntia › Opuntia tuna
Succulents Partly documented

Opuntia tuna

A low, spreading prickly pear of hot, dry Caribbean coastlines, with yellow spines and yellow to orange flowers. It is a frost-tender, full-sun plant that wants constant warmth, sharp drainage and a drier winter.

Opuntia tuna
Photo: rebecca spurling, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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

Dry coastal scrub, limestone outcrops and sandy flats on the dry south coast of Jamaica, in full sun.

Lowland coastal plant; recorded from 6 to about 150 m.

JamaicaMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico SoutheastMexico 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 tuna? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

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 2.0 licence, unmodified.