Written by Sadie Campbell
One of the best things about working at The Arboretum is getting to know some of the more unusual collections.
Did you know that there is a species of cactus native to southern Ontario? The eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) is an endangered member of the Cactaceae (Cactus) family. It has flat, rounded, green segments called pads which are covered in sharp bristles and spines. In the summer it produces bright yellow flowers, followed by edible red fruit. It prefers to grow in open, sunny areas with sandy, well-drained soil.
Though more common in the United States, the eastern prickly pear is so rare in Canada that it only grows naturally in Point Pelee National Park and the Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve on Pelee Island. If you don’t feel like making the drive to Point Pelee, you can check out this cactus in the World of Trees collection at The Arboretum!
Sadie Campbell is an undergraduate student studying Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph