The Indian Fig, an oddly named spineless prickly pear species, suffered a hard freeze during our record breaking cold in February of 2010. If you lost this cactus in your Tucson or Green Valley landscaping and would like to replace it, a much hardier spineless species is available. And it is truly spineless, with no glochids or tiny spines to poke you.
The prickly pear called Opuntia cacanapa 'Ellisiana', is hardy down to zero degrees, and unlike many prickly pear, it accepts part shade as well as full sun. Less upright as other prickly pears, thus plant stays much lower, spreading along the ground. A suitable ground cover on slopes, this prickly pear requires no maintenance and only water when it shows drought stress.
The summer flowers are bright yellow, and attract hummingbirds. The bright red fruits that followed the flowers are interestingly called “tunas”.
Reference: Mountain States Wholesale Nursery and Gregg Starr Nursery Plant Info Sheet, 1999.
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