Texas Opuntia from Arizona

 I am selling pads off my over sized plant. This plant began some 15 years ago from a single pad. It was cut back to about 2 feet high 4 years ago, and has attained this enormous size again. 

 I have a good thirty species of prickly pear on my land, and without a doubt this is one of my top 2 or 3 favorite for it's outrageous flowers!

 The hardiness and growth rate are exceptional. The orange/red shade of the flowers has to be one of the most outstanding and beautiful of all of them. Later in the season the pads edges are nearly covered on every inch with very large fruit. This fruit is a deep red wine and is stunning in the early morning, late day sunlight.

 I know folks prepare the fruit in the same manner as all of prickly fruit - pectin and lots of sweetener. These are not ones you would pick and eat like an apple.

 I have included numerous photos of my plant from throughout the year. Before the buds open, and as they are back lit with sunlight, they have the most wonderful rich pastel pink. When they are opened, depending on the lighting, the flowers may be an tangerine skin orange, or a rich lollipop red. The flowers are also very large for a prickly pear.

 The pad I send is from this plant in the photos. No flowers, not fruit, just the pad for propagating. It will be in excellent condition, freshly cut and a good specimen for propagating. Each pad I sell is an average size being around 5 inches x 6 inches. I do cut back the spines as they will stick through the box. In the colder latitudes I would maintain this in a greenhouse as a potted plant. In that case it will not reach the size of the one on my land. Over watering will be the main issue, especially in the winter if it cannot dry out quickly. Most out of state folks I know water the cactus when they see in weather reports that Southern Arizona has received rain.

 There are more details for growing these. I would suggest you refer to YouTube as there are short and very good instructive videos on successful growth. Please use common sense when taking this out of the package. Do it out of the house. Wash the pad to remove any glochids that may have jarred loose, use salad tongs for handling. 

 If the weather is too cold in your area, I will be attaching a label instructing the postman not to leave it in a mail box, which may require you to pick it up at the post office. But it's all for the good of the plant, right?

 Each pad will weigh around 1 pound and will measure approximately 5 inches by 6 inches. Each pad is slightly different so exact dimensions are not possible.  

 I could go on and on about this plant. If there is a point I did not cover, feel free to contact me.