Bring a taste of the desert to your Midwestern garden by planting some Prickly Pear Cactus. Prickly pear prefers dry, rocky soil in the full sun, but will tolerate other well-drained soil types. Unlike most succulents, this species is winter hardy, although it may tend to wither in the colder temperatures. Prickly pear has large, bright yellow flowers in July followed by edible red fruits in the fall. Wonderful for naturalizing and fairly easy to propagate from pads. Needles are sharp and contact can cause allergic reactions in some people.
