€10,60

🌱 Morphology
  On the ground... A small, prostrate-growing cactus that forms low, spreading mats on the ground. The cladodes are easily detachable and bright green, although they can acquire reddish or purplish tones when the plant is under stress. They are flattened, elliptic to narrowly elongated, and in some cases, they may present a partially cylindrical cross-section. They generally measure about 2.5–5 cm in length and 1.2–2.5 cm in width, although they can reach larger dimensions.

The areoles are small, rounded, and arranged in diagonal rows. They feature beige to gray wool and yellow glochids that turn brown with age. The spines are highly variable: they may be completely absent or appear in numbers of 1–2 per areole, exceptionally up to 4. They are straight, robust, and strongly barbed, initially reddish or brown and subsequently gray, reaching about 3 cm in length. They are mainly concentrated on the distal part of the cladodes.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
A species from the southeastern United States, primarily associated with the coastal plains of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. It is found from North Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. It inhabits coastal dunes, sandy scrublands, pine barrens, rocky outcrops, and sandy margins, generally from sea level up to an altitude of about 100 m.

It belongs to the family Cactaceae, subfamily Opuntioideae, and tribe Opuntieae.

In botanical literature, it has long been confused with Opuntia pusilla (Haw.) Haw. and Opuntia tracyi Britton. Joël Lodé (2026) maintains O. drummondii as a species and tentatively links O. pusilla to it, while O. tracyi is listed as a synonym of O. drummondii.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 8a–12b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −9 ºC in dry, well-acclimated specimens. It is one of the small North American Opuntias adapted to relatively cold winters. Its resistance increases when the plant remains completely dry during periods of low temperatures. Horticultural sources place the species in USDA 8a–12b.

☀️ Lighting
It requires very intense lighting and can be grown in full sun. In nature, it mainly occupies open environments, dunes, and sandy clearings with high sun exposure.

High radiation promotes compact growth of the cladodes and more developed spination. 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 be kept completely dry when temperatures are low. The combination of cold and prolonged humidity can cause damage to the cladodes and roots.

Its vegetative activity increases during spring and summer. Abundant watering is recommended, thoroughly wetting the substrate and allowing it to dry out completely before the next watering. As it is a small-sized species, the substrate must have very rapid drainage to avoid prolonged periods of moisture.

At the end of summer and throughout autumn, watering should be progressively reduced until the plant reaches winter dormancy.

🌸 Flowering
Flowering occurs mainly during spring, generally between April and May in its area of origin. The flowers reach approximately 4–6 cm in diameter and feature yellow tepals, with filaments and anthers that are also yellow. The style and stigma lobes are white.

After flowering, it develops fleshy fruits, initially green and subsequently purplish-red, approximately 1.8–3 cm in length. They are cylindrical to barrel-shaped, with areoles but without spines at maturity.

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

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

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