General Landscape Uses:
Accent or specimen shrub.
Availability:
Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida.
Description: Medium bushy succulent shrub, usually armed with yellow spines.
Dimensions: Typically 3-6 feet in height. Usually about as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pinelands and coastal uplands, occasionally inland.
Soils: Moist to periodically inundated brackish sandy or limestone soils, with or without humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content.
Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Secondary line; tolerates significant salt wind without injury, but usually is somewhat protected.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color: Yellow to yellowish-orange.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit: Purplish-red berry. Edible.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food for wildlife. Nectar plant for Meske's skipper (Hesperia meskei) butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from cuttings and seed. For cuttings, break off mature pad at joint. Let dry for a few days. Set cut end in potting soil several inches deep. Water every 2-3 days. Roots will form soon and initial growth will be rapid. Good drainage is essential.
Comments: The fruits can be peeled and eaten raw. It is listed as threatened by the state of Florida. Taxonomy: the spineless form more common on the mainland is referable to variety stricta; the spiny form more common in the Florida Keys is referable to variety dillenii, or O. dillenii.
