Question: I recently bought my first home in Santa Rosa. The backyard has a prickly pear cactus that’s about 6 feet tall. Since it’s the first time I’ve owned one, can you share information about it ...

This succulent can add a little southwest flare to almost any home or garden. The opuntia, or prickly pear cactus, is known for its flat, oval-shaped pads and delicious fruits. What's most ...

I didn't want to be a plant snob. So I told myself I at least appreciated some merits of the homely cactus. The prickly pear, after all, is a role model for water conservation. The flowers are pretty ...

Opuntia, the prickly pear cactus, originated in South America, moved into the valleys of the Andes and then north into Mexico and North America. In Southern California, opuntia grows in the coastal ...

Walnut Creek’s Ruth Bancroft is a national authority on drought-resistant gardening. Twice a month, she and her staff share their knowledge with readers. Q We have a large, old (probably about 40 ...

The desert prickly-pear, known to botanists as Opuntia phaeacantha, is the Southwest's most widespread and abundant species of cactus. Unlike the giant saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) that is restricted ...

Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) is native to the Eastern United States in prairies, pine flatwoods and scrub habitats. Someone examining prickly pear may not recognize any leaves, but the ...

My wife and I visited her cousin, Penny, a few weeks ago and were amazed at an enormous cactus she had in landscape. It was an eastern prickly pear cactus measuring about 100 square feet, loaded with ...

Q: I have a prickly pear cactus that started out in a pot, but the pot broke one winter, and the plant has been growing in the ground since. I really haven't done anything to it, and now it's getting ...