Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Indian Fig Prickly Pear
Indian Fig Prickly Pear is a big, tree-like prickly pear with bright green pads on a stout woody trunk. It can reach 10 to 15 feet tall and about 10 feet wide, and has few or no spines. Yellow flowers open in spring, followed by large edible fruit, and the young pads are eaten too. Grow it as a screen, a living barrier or a bold accent that needs little water once rooted.
Best for: tall living screens and barriers, a bold tree-like accent, and yards where you want to pick prickly pear fruit and pads.
Planted about 6 to 8 feet apart in a row, it grows into a tall screen or barrier. It reaches 10 to 15 feet tall over time.
Large fruit ripens in summer, turning yellow, orange, red or purple. Young, tender pads picked in spring are eaten as nopales once the glochids are scraped off.
With age it forms a stout woody trunk topped by big, flat, bright green pads. It stands out as a textural accent in a desert yard.
It is less cold hardy than Engelmann's or beavertail, rated to about 15 to 20°F. Wet soil rots it, and at full size it crowds small yards. The pads still carry glochids.
- Tight screen or barrier6 ft apart, center to center
- Looser row8 ft apart, center to center
Wait about a week after planting before the first water, then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once rooted, drench it and let it dry, about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer. Give it little or no water in winter, since overwatering is the most common problem.
It is less cold hardy than native prickly pears, about 15 to 20°F. On a hard freeze night, cover young plants and pad tips with frost cloth that reaches the ground.
Remove whole pads at the joint to control its size and keep air moving through the pads. Use long loppers and thick gloves.
Cochineal scale settles on crowded pads with poor air flow. Hose it off with a strong jet in summer, thin crowded pads, and cut out the worst ones.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Indian fig prickly pear get?
It usually grows 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide. With age it becomes tree-like, with a stout woody trunk. Cutting off pads keeps it smaller.
Is Indian fig fruit edible?
Yes. The large fruit ripens in summer, turning yellow, orange, red or purple. Pick it with tongs and gloves, twist it off, and remove the glochids before peeling.
Can you eat Indian fig pads?
Yes. Pick young, tender, bright green pads in spring. Wear thick gloves, scrape off any spines and glochids with a knife, then peel the pad.
Does Indian fig have spines?
It has few or no spines. The pads still carry glochids, tiny barbed hairs that stick in skin, so handle it with gloves and tongs.
How cold can Indian fig take?
It is rated hardy to about 15 to 20°F, less than Engelmann's at about 10°F. On hard freeze nights, cover young plants with frost cloth that reaches the ground.
How often should I water Indian fig?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out. Once rooted, every 2 to 4 weeks in summer is plenty, and little in winter. Soil that stays wet rots the roots.
When does Indian fig bloom?
Yellow to yellow-orange flowers open in spring, and bees visit them. The fruit follows in summer, so leave the flowers be if you want to pick it.
Can I use Indian fig as a privacy screen?
Yes. It is planted as a screen or barrier in rows about 6 to 8 feet apart. Over time it grows 10 to 15 feet tall.
What is the white fuzz on my Indian fig?
That is cochineal scale, a small insect under white fluff that settles on crowded pads with poor air flow. Spray it off with a strong jet from the hose, and thin out crowded pads.
How do I grow Indian fig from a pad?
Cut a pad at the joint and let it dry in the shade for 1 to 2 weeks. Plant the cut end 1 to 2 inches deep and wait a week or two before watering.
How is Indian fig different from Engelmann's prickly pear?
Indian fig grows tree-like to 10 to 15 feet, with few spines and large fruit. Engelmann's is an Arizona native, about 4 to 6 feet tall, with long spines and hardy to about 10°F.
Indian Fig Prickly Pear for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Indian Fig is the tree-like prickly pear grown around the world for its fruit and pads. In the Valley it is planted as a screen, a barrier or a bold accent. Below is what to expect from it in an Arizona yard, from size, sun and water to cold, fruit, handling and spacing.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does Indian fig prickly pear get?
Plan for about 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide. It grows slowly into a tree-like shape with a woody trunk. Cutting off whole pads controls its size.
Can you eat Indian fig prickly pear?
Yes, both the fruit and young pads are eaten. The large fruit ripens in summer. Pick with tongs and gloves, and remove the glochids before peeling.
How far apart do you plant Indian fig prickly pear?
For a screen or barrier, plant about 6 to 8 feet apart center to center. Each plant reaches 5 to 10 feet across. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
Indian fig prickly pear as a privacy screen in Arizona
Its height and big pads make it a tall screen or barrier. Plant it in a row about 6 to 8 feet apart in full sun. It needs little water once rooted.
How often do you water Indian fig in Phoenix?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out. Once rooted, every 2 to 4 weeks in summer is plenty. Give little water in winter.
Is Indian fig spineless?
It is not fully spineless. It has few or no spines, but the pads and fruit still carry glochids, tiny barbed hairs. Handle it with gloves and tongs.
Indian fig vs Engelmann's prickly pear
Indian fig grows tree-like to 10 to 15 feet, with few spines and large fruit. Engelmann's is a spiny Arizona native, about 4 to 6 feet tall and hardy to about 10°F. Pick Indian fig for height and fruit, Engelmann's for cold and a native look.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.