Cactus plant is in the family: Cactaceae, it originates from Mexico. It grows like a tree. The plant has succulent stem while the leaves are spined hence adapted to extremely arid or semi arid conditions. The spines prevent it from being eaten (humans know how to go about nature) and reduces rate of transpiration. They can be used as ornamental plants as some produce beautiful red flowers and their fruits are edible.
The cactus plantation is coming up very quickly and it is taking over the grazing fields creating competition for pasture thus posing risks to both wildlife and livestock (a population of approximately 17,000) during dry seasons.
The cactus fruits are green and turn yellow when ripe. One has to put in mind that everything that glitters is not gold, the fruits have small spines if not handled with care they are pricky and painful. Christine one of my cousin had never seen this plant before when she saw the ripe fruits, she couldn’t help picking them afterwards she couldn’t close her mouth which was full of spines ha! ha! ha!…….aaaaaaaa.
May be your suggestion on how to control /eradicate this invasive plant will be of great help to Soysambu. Any suggestions are welcome.
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The prickly pear……
What about cochineal, a beetle which produces the white fluffy scale and which gradually kills the plant?
The Cactus Plant grows a fruit and I was told that it is used in drinks and food because it’s natural and good for you and also is suppose to help with cancer-is this true? I have COPD and the gentleman I got my starters from said that it would help my COPD and he said to go online and find out more about it. And I read on here that the fruit is green and turns yellow when ripe but his was a very dark brown and was ready for picking or however you might say and can you pick it when it is ready and can you eat it straight off the cactus plant or do you have to cut it in half and eat the middle-I don’t know and it will probably be a couple years before mine will be ready for anything so could you please inform me on this matter? Thank you!! Sincerely-Diamond Miller
Dear Miller, for a cactus fruit consumption, there lots of things to be done for one to pick the fruit you much consider the wind direction as the dry thorns fall off when the stem is shaken and when it gets to your body it is very irritating,two to pick the fruit you must find something to hold with to avoid the thorns pricking your hands, from there you can now remove the succulent cover of the fruit and now ready to be eaten.
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