Origin :.

Opuntia Macrocentra prickly pear is a genus of succulents in the cactus family (Cactaceae) , which includes more than 150 species of plants , occurring naturally mainly in North and South America .

CHARacteristics :.

Opuntias, depending on the species, can reach different sizes and shapes. They usually form erect or decumbent , flattened , segmented , woody stems at the base , on which grow thorns in aerolas , as well as small , thin , brittle thorns with micro-hooks (so-called glochids) .During the growing season prickly pear blooms, producing large flowers on the edges or tops of shoots, consisting of several whorls of colorful, wavy, almost parchment-like petals and the center between them filled with numerous stamens. Depending on the species and variety , the flowers can be red , orange or yellow . Under suitable conditions, after pollination of flowers, they develop oval or spherical , fleshy , covered with green , yellow , orange or red , sometimes spiky skin fruits . In some species the fruits are dry .

Requirements : .

The vast majority of prickly pears are desert plants , adapted to a harsh climate . In the wild they inhabit warm , sunny sites and rocky , rocky , poor , permeable , well-drained substrates .In season they prefer warm , even hot (22-35°C) . Plants can be propagated by rooting fragments of segmented shoots .In summer they require moderate , even scanty watering , as they tolerate drought much better than flooding (they have the ability to store water in fleshy shoots). In winter, on the other hand, the substrate in their pot should be almost dry . During the growing season they can sometimes be fertilized with special fertilizers for cacti.