Common Name:
'Old Mexico' prickly pear
Family Name:
Cactaceae
Botanical Name:
Opuntia gomei
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
'Old Mexico'
Characteristics:
Old Mexico prickly pear is a sprawling, shrubby cactus native to the Gulf coastal region of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Plants typically reach 1-1.5 m (4-5 ft) in height and up to 3-8 m (10-26 ft) in width, forming extensive clumps with dead material often found in older plant centers (1, 2, 3). This species is evergreen. The cladodes (pads) are large, thin, and light green to bluish-green, often measuring 30–60 cm (12-24 in) long. These pads are irregularly undulated and scalloped, giving them a distinctive appearance (1, 2, 3). In the spineless cultivar ‘Old Mexico,’ the pads are especially smooth and decorative (3). Areoles are obovate, raised, and spaced 2.1-5 cm (0.8-2.0 in) apart, bearing bright yellow glochids up to 1 cm (~1/2 in) long and 0-5 stiff, straight yellow spines per areole, 2-5 cm (1-2 in) long (1, 2). This species produces blooms in spring and summer (3). Flowers are usually yellow, but red, orange, and magenta forms are also reported, especially in cultivated settings (1, 2). The stigma is large and bright green (2). Fruits are plump, reddish-purple berries that are shaped like a fig, being wider at the apex and tapered toward the base (1, 2).
Compound:
Geographic Origin:
Ecozone Origin:
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Opuntia gomei occurs near the Rio Grande River delta in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, at elevations from sea level to around 90 m (300 ft) (1, 3). It grows on huisache flats (low lands populated with Acacia/Vachellia farnesiana), and periodically on flooded or saline soils, indicating tolerance to both salinity and to seasonal flooding (1, 2). Originally described by David Griffiths in 1910, the species was named in honor of William Gome, who invested greatly in botanical collection efforts around Brownsville, Texas (3). Griffiths classified it as distinct, but other authors have historically lumped it with O. lindheimeri. Nonetheless, intermediates are not found and O. gomei is considered a separate species by several modern taxonomists (2, 3).
The spineless ‘Old Mexico’ cultivar is attributed to Helen Winans, a noted cactus collector and dealer active in Texas during the 1970s-80s (3). This cultivar is valued for ornamental purposes and large container planting.
Cultivation Notes:
Opuntia gomei thrives in full sun and requires well-drained soils, whether sandy, gravelly, or clay-based, as long as water does not pool (1, 3). It is highly drought tolerant and suitable for xeriscaping, needing little to no supplemental irrigation once established (1, 3). Indoors or in greenhouses, it should be watered regularly during active growth (March to October) and kept mostly dry in winter (1). Plants may suffer under prolonged, severe drought (1). It is frost hardy to approximately -12°C (10-15°F), depending on the clone, making it suitable for USDA zones 8-10 (1, 2, 3). Propagation is easily accomplished by vegetatively propagating stem pad cuttings taken during the growing season after allowing them to callus (1). The plant is generally pest and disease resistant.
Ethnobotany:
The reddish-purple fruits are edible, and tender pads may be cooked as a vegetable (1). In traditional medicine, the plant has been used to treat dyspepsia, swelling, and mumps, and it also has veterinary applications in treating bruises (1). The pads, after singeing to remove glochids, are sometimes used as cattle fodder (1).
Height:
0 - 5 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
