{"product_id":"opuntia-monacantha","title":"Drooping Prickly Pear - Opuntia monacantha","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDrooping Prickly Pear - Opuntia monacantha\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOpuntia monacantha\u003c\/em\u003e is a South American prickly pear that grows into a tree-like cactus, developing a woody cylindrical trunk topped with thin, glossy, drooping pads. The habit is what distinguishes it: instead of a low sprawling clump, mature plants stand upright with the pads hanging from the branch tips, giving strong sculptural form in a dry garden. Flowers are bright yellow with a reddish flush, followed by purple-red fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy Drooping Prickly Pear\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTree form\u003c\/strong\u003e: Develops a genuine woody trunk rather than remaining a ground-level clump.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePad habit\u003c\/strong\u003e: Thin, glossy segments droop from the branches, giving movement unusual in a cactus.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowering\u003c\/strong\u003e: Bright yellow blooms flushed red open through the warmer months.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExtreme drought tolerance\u003c\/strong\u003e: Survives on rainfall alone in hot, dry, unirrigated positions.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSculptural silhouette\u003c\/strong\u003e: Reads strongly against a plain rendered wall or against the sky.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArid and desert-style gardens\u003c\/strong\u003e: A structural centrepiece among gravel, boulders and other succulents.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge containers\u003c\/strong\u003e: Growing it in a pot keeps it contained and easy to manage.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHot courtyard corners\u003c\/strong\u003e: Thrives in reflected heat where nothing else survives.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSculptural accent planting\u003c\/strong\u003e: Positioned as a single feature where its silhouette can be seen clearly.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 2m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.5 to 3m, well clear of paths and play areas\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring and summer, into warm dry soil\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very sharply drained sandy or gravelly soil. Winter wet is the main killer, and the plant is only lightly frost tolerant.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water sparingly, roughly monthly through the first warm season, and not at all in winter. Mulch with gravel, site it away from thoroughfares because both the spines and the fine barbed glochids are painful, and note that prickly pears are declared weeds in parts of Australia, so check your state and council requirements and remove dropped pads and fruit rather than letting them strike.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 4m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 3m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen, leafless, with photosynthetic pads\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e South America, from Brazil to northern Argentina\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yellow flushed red, spring into summer\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":59795376177438,"sku":"ND-1299-400MM","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/bl5rn071A9h7kryv8P8ql_XudCb2o7.jpg?v=1787314578","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/opuntia-monacantha","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}