Optunia (species?)Blooms like crazy but never bears fruit!ADVISE?

11 years ago

Aloha amazing gardeners!!!
I live in Kauai, where it rains pretty often- I am actually about 10-15 miles from (maybe 20-25miles) from one of the wettest spots on earth- Mount Wai'ale'ale's peak gets on average more than 452 inches of rain a year!!
So, my problem however is that my home has an amazingly beautiful and super healthy prickly pear cactus on the south facing side and its root ball is in a covered area so it can stay somewhat dry (this is the good stuff) however, she/he flowers much of the year as we have mostly minimal seasons- BUT these flowers won't ever bear fruit!!
I just recently attempted to hand pollinate about 15 of the flowers to see if that will help as I really want some fruit- but that was only 4 days ago- so no noticeable difference on those buds yet- anyone that can share some advice or any insight into what might be the issue or any tricks I can try here would be SO GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED!!! And if I get fruit ill send the advisor free seeds no shipping once I get fruit!! Thanks everyone!!

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Comments (9)

chrisdotson34 Dotson
Original Author
11 years ago
Another picture
chrisdotson34 Dotson
Original Author
11 years ago
One more closer up/ and also- sorry the cactus is on the EAST/SOUTH facing part of the house
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I am with Indianagardengirl, that one of the larger Hydrangea paniculata cultivars will do well for you. Limelight, Quickfire, Pinky Winky, etc will bloom for 3-4 months, depending on the cultivar. Unlike many other types of hydrangeas, they set flower buds in the spring, so bloom reliably. The 3 I mentioned will be in the 6'-9' size range. Foliage stays nice all season, and if you leave the dried flowers on for the winter, you will have a bit of coverage then also. I get enough natural rainfall here that I don't have to water either lilacs or the hydrangeas, both of which are in all day sun, though you may need to water since you are drier and more southern than I am. Here's a thread on Limelight hedges, and though a few of the photos are missing, most are there, and some of the posters came back to post annual photos for several years as the hedges grew. I have lilacs that sucker some, and some types are susceptible to powdery mildew. If you get freezing rain or heavy wet snow, branches sometimes break on mine. I don't have any of those issues with my Quickfire and Pinky Winky (I don't grow Limelight), so my lilacs don't look as good for most of the season as my Hydrangea paniculata shrubs. I also found that in my area, the hydrangeas reach a good size much sooner than lilacs. But if you really love the lilacs, go for it. Or if you are willing to give up the space, plant a row of later-blooming low growing shrubs or vines such as clematis on trellises in front of the lilacs to extend the bloom season for the hedge.
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thisisme
11 years ago
Chrisdotson34 I'm no expert on any cactus. But it looks like you have fruit growing. You did not say so I will ask. Does the fruit fall off or rot before ripening? Just asking because when I see all those fruit embryos I know there must be something I'm missing.
kaktuskris
11 years ago
This is Nopalea coccinellifera, also known as Opuntia coccinellifera. I love the red blossom, a nice change from the usual yellow Opuntia flower. I saw large specimens growing in Florida, proving they can take the high humidity. Sorry I don't know why you are having trouble with the fruit ripening.

Christopher
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
11 years ago
IIRC, there's a Euphorbia which has never been known to 'flower' - it reproduces so readily vegetatively apparently. Maybe this is the same thing, but it is odd that there's not one flower fertilized - I guess it's a specialized pollinator.
sf_rhino
11 years ago
I've read that most of the nopalea-opuntia are pollinated by hummingbirds (of which Hawai'i is devoid). Maybe that is the issue. I hope the hand pollination works!
Dzitmoidonc
11 years ago
I have an Opuntia species here that blooms prolifically in pink and makes no fruit. For me, that is a ++. Most cold weather Opuntia fruit is small, seedy, and unless you are going to process a bunch for preserves or something a few fruit go a long way. Opuntia humifisa makes a fruit that is good for months on the plant. It is both decorative and edible into late winter.

The name of the fruitless plant here is O. rutila (I think some people call it O. polyacantha, a hybrid, or a subspecies. Take your pick.) At any rate, I got it years ago from Steven Brack at Mesa Garden. Nice cactus, one of the few Opuntia I can recommend. There are several other species growing near it, and a Cholla too. Some of these blooms are open concurrently with the other Opuntias, and bees wallow in all the pollen. In the 15 yrs. or so the rutila has grown here, and it has flowered well all but the first year, it has never made a single fruit, or even a fake fruit plants sometimes make. Maybe this is a similar situation with your plant.
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
11 years ago
Some opuntias make 'dry fruit" where the seeds are made but the fruit is desiccated. I do not know if Opuntia cochenellifera makes dry fruit. I do know that the pads make good eating. They are one of the preferred varieties.
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
11 years ago
I just want to note that I have seen this cactus reach 14' tall and 8'wide.

Optunia (species?)Blooms like crazy but never bears fruit!ADVISE?

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chrisdotson34 Dotson
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chrisdotson34 Dotson
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Optunia (species?)Blooms like crazy but never bears fruit!ADVISE?

Comments (9)

chrisdotson34 DotsonOriginal Author

chrisdotson34 DotsonOriginal Author

Related Discussions

thisisme

kaktuskris

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chrisdotson34 Dotson
Original Author

chrisdotson34 Dotson
Original Author