Scientific Name:
Opuntia microdasys
Pronunciation:
oh-PUNT-ee-uh mye-kroe-DAZZ-ess
Common Name:
bunny ears cactus
Family Name:
Cactaceae
Plant Type:
Indoor foliage plant, Succulent or Cacti
Key ID Features:
Flattened, upright modified stem looks like oblong pads; modified leaves are yellow clusters of many soft spines 1-3mm long.
Habit:
Irregular, Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 11: (above 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Herb, Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Whorled
Texture/Venation:
Prickly
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Shapes:
Acicular
Apices:
Aristate
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Unlikely to flower indoors
Fruit Type:
Capsule, Aborted (hybrids) or absent
Fruit Colour:
Violet, Red
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Unlikely to form indoors
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Spines, Succulent stems, Stems are flattened, jointed. Tufts of bristles (glochids) form at nodes (areoles).
Propagation:
Greenwood cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Mealybugs, Root rot, Scale insects (Drought tolerant)
