Opuntia scheeri

An excellent and choice hardy prickly pear with pads about 6-8ins across and forming a solid small shrub quite quickly. The fine evenly spaced yellowish areoles on a sea green background make for a very satisfying effect. Don’t however underestimate the tiny, barbed spines which get everywhere. Handle it with thick leather gloves and plant it well away from the path.

The parent plant is in a front garden in Lancing, Sussex, in ordinary soil and gets no protection at all. I hear of other plants as far north as Lancashire also doing well fully exposed to the elements. Pale amber yellow flowers appear in spring.

£15