I didn't want to be a plant snob. So I told myself I at least appreciated some merits of the homely cactus. The prickly pear, after all, is a role model for water conservation. The flowers are pretty ...

Global warming, drought and plant disease pose a growing threat to agriculture in Italy’s arid south, but a startup founded by a former telecoms manager believes it has found a solution: Opuntia Ficus ...

The prickly pear cactus, considered an essential food in Mexico, could be the answer to much of the world's food security woes, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Thursday. "While ...

Cactus water is the latest drink to hit the natural beverage market, alongside other plant-based drinks like coconut water and aloe vera juice. Most cactus waters are made by squeezing the juice from ...

Visiting Arizona? Want to drink a cactus? The hotel you're staying in might have beverages flavored with prickly pear like ...

Question: I recently bought my first home in Santa Rosa. The backyard has a prickly pear cactus that’s about 6 feet tall. Since it’s the first time I’ve owned one, can you share information about it ...

The desert prickly-pear, known to botanists as Opuntia phaeacantha, is the Southwest's most widespread and abundant species of cactus. Unlike the giant saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) that is restricted ...

A close-up of Opuntia, commonly known as prickly pear cactus. A couple of years ago, if someone mentioned "cactus water", you'd probably picture it as something you'd reluctantly consume as a last ...

Covered in menacing needlelike spines, the prickly pear cactus demands to be treated with care. In return, it will reward you with a juicy neon fruit and fleshy green pads that have nourished people ...

For generations Algerians like the Gueldasmi family have barely eked out a living growing prickly pear fruits, but thanks to the cactus's new found virtues their lives are steadily improving. "Now, my ...

This fruit often is described as a cross between a watermelon and bubblegum, and can be found on the side of Southwestern highways. It's the prickly pear. The fruit and its nopales (the fleshy, ...