Opuntia microdasys f. monstrose

Flowers only bud at the termination points of fully formed segments. Budding begins in late spring, and culminates in early summer with 2 inch wide blossoms. These are a creamy yellow in colour, and fade to peach once fertilized. Flowers will turn into 2 inch long fruits varying from purple to red in colour.

When a pad (the ear like sprout) is fully grown you can gently break it off ensuring that the break is clean. Gloves should be worn when doing this to avoid getting the fine spines in your fingers. Re-pot the cuttings in groups of 3 or more up to three centimetres in the soil. Make sure you water regularly during the first year ensuring that the soil is slightly damp to the touch but not water logged.

Like most cacti, this specimen demands sandy soil-bases that drain easily. It is usually happy with the pre-packaged cactus soil found in good nurseries. To increase drainage for a picky plant, mix in a 1:1 ratio of perlite or bark.