Common cactus in southern California, Central, Northern and Western Mexico including Baja California . Hardy in Zones 8 to 10 but can be container grown for many years and brought indoors for the winter farther north. The specimens shown here were photographed in June of 1998 at the Botanical Gardens at San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico.
Nopales make a very good salad.
Toss with a couple dashes of lime juice, a little olive oil and red wine vinegar and chill before serving. Small containers of young seedlings need to be watered as frequently as any other plant and should not be allowed to get too dry. Propagate by seed or by removing pads ad planting into soil. Handle with care, as is the case with most cacti, the spines can be brutal.