€15,90

🌱 Morphology
 Among the ice... A small, low-growing, creeping Opuntia that forms compact mats, generally about 5–10 cm tall, which can spread considerably through the production of new segments. The cladodes are small, fleshy, and oval, elliptical, or nearly circular in shape, frequently 2–5 cm long and 1–2.5 cm wide. They have a bluish-green or grayish-green coloration and are notably thick in relation to their size.

The areoles are very close together and have small glochids. In the f. inermis form, spines are absent or very scarce and poorly developed, which allows for a clearer view of the rounded shape and the epidermis of the segments. The joints detach with extraordinary ease at the slightest touch, a characteristic responsible for the epithet fragilis. Each segment can take root and give rise to a new plant, making vegetative propagation especially effective.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
The species Opuntia fragilis has one of the northernmost distributions of all cacti: it extends from Ontario and Alberta, in Canada, to Texas and from the Great Plains westward to British Columbia and California. It grows in prairies, steppes, open clearings, stony slopes, and sandy terrain, from practically flat zones to mountainous areas. In northern Alberta, it reaches latitudes close to the Arctic Circle.

It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Opuntioideae subfamily, and Opuntieae tribe. Opuntia fragilis is currently an accepted name. The inermis form should be understood as a practically spineless horticultural form, not as an independent taxonomic entity recognized by major nomenclatural databases.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 4a–9b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −34 ºC in completely dry, well-acclimated specimens adapted to cold conditions. Opuntia fragilis is one of the most cold-hardy cacti known, thanks to its ability to withstand tissue dehydration during the winter. Its true resistance depends on its genetic origin, acclimatization, and, above all, on minimal water availability in the tissues and substrate during frosts.

☀️ Lighting
It requires very intense light and can be grown in full sun. In its natural habitat, it mainly occupies open spaces, prairies, stony terrain, and sandy areas with high sun exposure.

High radiation promotes compact growth and smaller segments. As a general guideline during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During winter, it must remain completely dry. Sub-zero temperatures do not in themselves represent a significant problem for this species, but the simultaneous presence of water in the substrate can lead to freeze damage and rot.

During spring and summer, active growth begins. Abundant watering is recommended, allowing the substrate to dry out completely before the next application. It tolerates relatively long periods of drought, so it is preferable to underwater rather than keep the substrate constantly moist.

In late summer and during autumn, watering is gradually reduced until the winter rest is reached.

🌸 Flowering
It produces relatively large flowers in relation to the small size of the segments, approximately 3–5 cm in diameter. They are generally yellow or greenish-yellow, although they may show reddish or pinkish tones towards the base of the tepals.

Flowering occurs mainly in late spring and early summer. Afterwards, it develops small fruits, generally elongated, green and later reddish, which can remain on the plant for some time.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with high assimilable calcium and low nitrogen levels, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas, is recommended, applied once a month when watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Floración.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

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