How long does a prickly pear take to produce?

Answer 1

Generally, the Prickly Pear Cactus, a member of the Opuntia family, will need to be at least 3 years old before it will begin to produce flowers. These will usually be bright yellow, depending on the variety of Prickly Pear and the climate. Sometimes, even an Opuntia that is of adequate age and maturity will fail to produce flowers, such as if there hasn't been enough moisture for the year, or if it receives inadequate sunlight.

When the Prickly Pear does bloom, the small, thumblike protrusions that the flowers grow on will become the fruit, the "Prickly Pear", for which the Cacti is commonly named. These fruits generally take 3 to six months to fully ripen, again dependent on the species. Usually, a healthy, mature plant will produce flowers in early Spring, with the fruits being ripe and ready to consume by late Summer to early Fall.

It's worth noting that cuttings from a mature plant will mature and produce flowers much more rapidly than growing from seed, in fact the Prickly Pear I am currently caring for was cut from the mother early March, and by May had already produced flowers, and the beginnings of fruits. This is because the cacti I took my cuttings from was already older and mature. I placed "my" cactus in direct, all day sunlight. Although my Opuntia is well on it's way to producing fruit, the mother plant has yet to produce a single flower. This is proof of the importance of climate, as even a mature plant may not flower if the sunlight is inadequate.

So, basically, your Prickly Pear will produce fruits as soon as it is old enough, which may be immediately if grown from cutting, and the fruits will begin to form in early Spring, maturing by Fall. Again, the climate and sunlight will have a HUGE effect on the timing, so make sure your Opuntia receives as much sunlight as possible, and don't over-water. Try to find a wild cacti from your area to take a cutting from, as these will already be acclimated to your environment, and will grow more vigorously.