Purple Prickly Pear Cactus

Purple Prickly Pear Cactus Pad – Ready to Root
 
Bring a touch of desert beauty to your home garden with our hardy Purple Prickly Pear (Opuntia). These striking cactus pads naturally shift in color with the seasons—ranging from soft sage green in summer to glowing lavender-purple in cooler weather. Each pad you receive is taken from our mature, healthy parent plants and is fully callused before shipping, which means it is ready to plant and easy to root with minimal care.
 
What You Will Receive:
• One healthy, freshly cut cactus pad (no two pads are identical—each one has its own shape and character)
• The pad will be callused and ready for planting
 
 
How to Plant + Root Your Pad
 
Do not water right away.
Let your pad rest in a dry place for 2–3 days after arrival if it feels freshly cut. This helps reinforce the callus.
Planting:
• Use cactus soil or a blend of 50% potting mix + 50% sand/perlite
• Place the pad upright, burying the cut end about 1–2 inches deep
• Support with a rock if needed to keep it standing
Light:
Start the pad in bright shade or filtered sunlight for the first few weeks. Once new growth appears, gradually move it into full sun.
Watering:
Wait 1–2 weeks before the first watering.
After that, water lightly every 2–3 weeks, allowing soil to dry completely between watering. Overwatering is the only real mistake to avoid.
 
Growth & Climate
Prickly pears are drought-tolerant and cold-hardy. In winter, pads may wrinkle and turn deeper purple—this is normal and part of their natural cold-weather adaptation. In spring, they plump back up and continue growing.
 
Why We Love Them
• Pollinator-friendly when in bloom
• Naturally drought-resistant
• Beautiful seasonal color shifts
• Easy to propagate (you can grow new plants from future pads!)