Opuntia Robusta Pad (cutting)

The Plant Produces Delicious Purple Prickly Pears. The wheel cactus, also known as Opuntia robusta, nopal tapón, or camuesa, is a kind of cactus in the Cactaceae family. It grows from 5,000 to 10,000 feet (1,500 to 3,000 m) on rocky slopes, open shrub areas, forests, and in mixtures with other cacti and succulents. It is native and endemic to central and northern Mexico, up to 100 miles (160 km) from the borders of Arizona and New Mexico.

The average height of a plant is about 1 m (40 in), yet when supported, it can reach heights of over 3 m (10 ft).

The segments of the flattened stem are fleshy, spherical, and blue-gray in color. These have a diameter of up to 30 cm (1 ft) and up to 5 cm-long, spiky spines (2 in).

The edges of the top stem segments bear yellow, sessile blooms with fleshy bases. These are followed by purple, juicy barrel-shaped fruits that can grow to be up to 8 cm (3 in) long.