Prickly pear cacti have flat, green pads that look like big beaver tails or pancakes stacked on top of each other! Each pad is covered in two kinds of prickles: big, sharp spines that you can see easily, and tiny, hair-like prickles called “glochids” that are so small you can barely see them but they can still poke your fingers. New pads grow right on top of old ones, and a prickly pear cactus can grow to be as tall as a grown-up person. These cacti are found all over North and South America, and they are one of the most common cacti in the world!
In the springtime, beautiful bright flowers in yellow, orange, pink, or red bloom on the edges of the pads. Later, these flowers turn into yummy red or purple fruits called “tunas” that taste sweet and can be made into juice, candy, and jelly! People in Mexico have been eating prickly pear pads and fruits for thousands of years. The pads, called “nopales,” can be cooked and eaten like a vegetable. The prickly pear cactus is so important to Mexico that it is right in the middle of the Mexican flag! Even animals like desert tortoises and javelinas love to munch on the juicy pads for a cool drink of water.
