What's Up With the Rosemont Cactus?
Does anyone know the story behind this plant?
You might miss it, but there’s a large cactus growing in the Hooffs Run Park and Greenway in Rosemont. It's right along Commonwealth Avenue and it's pretty big.
Obviously, cacti can grow in Alexandria. But they can’t be indigenous, can they?
Does anyone know the story behind this plant? Does someone want to make one up? Tell us in the comments section.
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Hilary Mughloo, CHHC, Curvy Yoga, Reiki
12:29 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
No... but I always wonder the same thing when we walk by!! Would love to know.
betty guttmann
3:14 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
I have several of these in my yard (Napolitos). I originally got mine from a single "leaf" I brought back from North Carolina. They have gorgeous yellow cactus flowers that bloom every year. Over the course of a few weeks there will be oodles of flowers - they only bloom for a day. Then after the flowers bloom dark purple fruit will grow all over. Some call them "Tunas." They are edible as are the thick cacti leaves. Two warnings: they have tiny- almost invisible - thorns that are nasty. Also .. these cacti grow like bunny rabbits
Rene Theluckiest
2:34 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
It looks like what is commonly known as a "Prickly Pear" : Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus (see below), is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.
Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200[1] species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider a subgenus of Opuntia. Austrocylindropuntia, Corynopuntia and Micropuntia are also often included in the present genus, but like Cylindropuntia they seem rather well distinct. Brasiliopuntia and Miqueliopuntia are closer relatives of Opuntia.
The most commonly culinary species is the Indian Fig Opuntia (O. ficus-indica). Most culinary uses of the term "prickly pear" refer to this species. Prickly pears are also known as "tuna", "nopal" or nopales, from the Nahuatl word nōpalli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word nōchtli for the fruit; or paddle cactus.
They have large bright yellow flowers usually and produce an reddish edible fruit.
their thorns can be large and fine...so fine you need tweezers or duck tape to get them out. They survive well here in spite of below freezing temperatures. Parts may die back if too much snow and ice but they almost always make a strong comeback. .
Tim Merrill
2:34 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Google "Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus" (Opuntia humifusa) and you'll see it's indigenous from southern Ontario to Florida to New Mexico. That's not to say somebody didn't plant that one in the middle of Commonwealth.
Sharon
7:19 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Hmmm. Makes me want to take a leaf or two and try to propagate it in my yard!
betty guttmann
9:32 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Sharon...you are more than welcome to take some cuttings if you want -let me know.
vineeta anand
4:39 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
The cactus has been there for years. I've lived in the neighborhood for more than two decades, and I seem to remember it always being there.
Linda
2:04 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The cactus (it is indeed an Eastern Prickly Pear) used to reside in front of a nearby house on E Chapman. A plant loving homeowner had it positioned in front of a downstairs window to discourage break-ins. When they were getting ready to sell the house, he replanted it in its current location.