Creation Cultivated - Live "Spineless Prickly Pear Cactus" - Opuntia cacanapa "Ellisiana" (1 PAD Cutting) / Winter Hardy Cactus - USDA Zone 6 / Unrooted Freshly Cut Cactus Pads / Tortoise Food

I live in USDA zone 6b and I bought two pads in December 2024. Since it was the winter when I received them I just stuck each of them in a pot of succulent soil and put them in a southern facing window until spring of 2025. When it warmed up I planted them in the ground. They had a nice rootball when I took them out of their pots. There wasn’t much growth that first year. I assume they were growing more roots because spring 2026 I have several new baby pads. They seem to be thriving and durable enough to survive the winter cold of Kansas.

Do NOT purchase! These have full spines and needles. They rub/ remove some from a plant and pass it off as a genetic spineless. I have tried to report as fraudulent

Great for tortiouses

I expected one pad. I got two big healthy ones right on time and in good condition. They were packed in paper which is much better than sealed in plastic. The plants need oxygen and dry air even when almost dormant. It will take a while but I expect to get two nice plants.

Sadly one pad didn't survive

Raising cacti is not always easy in New England. My first inclination was to pot it upright. I am doing it with this pad. The pad and the media are completely dry. I am using an 8” clay pot. The media is a type of cactus soil. The Pad is placed one third deep in the media, but the front is not filled in with media. This is to prevent rot. I have it inside in a sunny location. No watering for 30 days. To balance the pad a cross made by wooden chop sticks holds the Pad in place. My second method is to start Pads in a horizontal position. Several are placed in pots with cactus soil. The exposure is directed to the south. They are covered in the event of extended rain showers. The top of the pad as well as the bottom my curl up from the soil. A new pad grows in a perpendicular fashion. A small river stone can be placed in the center to prevent movement. I will take them into the greenhouse from November through April. I also have pads of the East Coast cold hardy. Live in Zone 6. The Pads are for Tortoise Food. Many thanks for the Pad.

The plant seemed to be doing fine. However, it split and fell off in the pot. I tried replanting in the pot with the suggested end of the plant. It never took root, the original plant died, and the whole thing disintegrated into the dirt. I was very careful not to water but once a week, and there was allowance for drainage. I don't know if it was not a healthy plant or some other problem.

We thought we were ordering started plants, I mean it’s not cheap! All we got was cut off pieces of cactus. We planted them like instructions said and they just rotted!