We’ve already said it to our followers… green thumb is trendy again 🌱
Do you remember? We talked about it here 😉
In this context of green “awakening”, there are plants that are particularly successful. Plants that are chosen because they are fashionable, trendy …. and among these we certainly have it: the prickly pear.
Opuntia Ficus-Indica is undoubtedly one of the most famous plants in the world.

Belonging to the Cactaceae family, we are talking about a plant that has its origins in Central America but it is now common to find it also in the Mediterranean areas of southern Italy.The prickly pear cactus is today one of the most loved plants, at home or in the garden.
That’s right 👉 the potted prickly pear can be left outside, in a sunny position, in spring and summer.
We should move it to a protected place in autumn and winter instead. We suggest you to place it indoors, maybe in a corner where the temperature is not too high, such as a veranda or at least always away from a heat source.

Characteristics of the prickly pear:
It is an arborescent succulent plant with a height that can even reach 4-5 meters.
The stem is made up of cladodes which join together to form ramifications which ensure photosynthesis. What makes the prickly pear really recognizable, in addition to the color and shape, are the typically whitish thorns with a length of 1-2 cm. The thorns serve to keep predators away but there are also species of Opuntia without thorns.
It is a plant that resists high levels of drought and this thanks to layers of cells that act as a water reserve.

Not only thorns but also flowers… and fruits
The prickly pear gives flowers yes, but also fruits.
The flowers have yellow petals while the fruit is a fleshy berry full of seeds.

How to grow prickly pear in a (Plastecnic) pot?
We choose a very large and deep pot as the plant grows a lot. We also limit repotting operations (it is never simple with thorny plants, especially if they are voluminous). We always choose a specific soil for succulents 😉

After these suggestions, we suggest you to plant your the prickly pear in a bell pot from the Terrae line 🌱

Prickly pear 🏡 is a trendy plant, ..and it tells us a lot  of history too…
Let’s think that it was considered a holy plant already in Aztec times.
It was sold and traded as a rare commodity with strong symbolic values.
It is also said that its fruits were considered poisonous and that they were brought to Sicily by the Turks to exterminate the population.
But then Divine Providence intervened and the fruits became very sweet and beneficial 😊