Photo by Gary Kurtz
Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus is a native, perennial wildflower that grows in Wisconsin. It grows about six to 12 inches tall and spreads out about 12 to 18 inches. The flowers are yellow with sometimes orange or red centers. The flowers are usually large and waxy, with a diameter of two to three inches. They have bushy clumps of yellow stamens in the center, surrounded by seven or more tepals. The leaves, called pads, are ellipsoidal in shape and can measure over a foot long and over eight inches wide. It grows best in full sun and well-drained sandy soils with a neutral to slightly acidic pH.
(JULY)