This cactus grows wild all over South India. I saw them in bloom near Masinagudi and it was a pleasant site. In Kannada it is known as Dabbagalli and Vidara Vishvasaraka in Sanskrit. The botanical name is Opuntia elatior belonging to Cactaceae family.
This can be grown in a pot at home. Prickly Pear grows upto 15 – 18 feet tall. The pear shaped cactus leaf with spines can be as wide as 16 inch. The flowers are in Yellow and Red.
