Home»Cactus - Succulents»Opuntia
Opuntia microdasys[op - UN - shee - a , my - kro - DAS - is ] , is a flowering mintage of the cactus familyCactaceae .
It is also known by the synonyms as :
The scientific name of the bunny girl ears cactus comes from the Hellenic and Latin words .
The genus nameOpuntiais a cite to Opus , an area in Greece where cactus - like plants grew .
The Latin specific epithetmicrodasysmeans small and shaggy-haired , hinting at the cacti ’s growth patterns .
ThisOpuntia cactusspecies is aboriginal and endemic to fundamental Mexico through northern Mexico .
Common public figure for the plant let in many , most given on the foundation of its show .
Most popular names let in :
Opuntia Microdasys Plant Care
Size & Growth
Opuntia microdasyscacti grow in dense shrub which can rise up to 15 ” – 24 ” inches marvellous .
The bunny rabbit ears cactus form thick pad with fuzzy , white or yellow glochidium instead of long spines .
What are glochids?Glochids are the barbed bristle found on the areole of some growing cactus .
These pad - similar stems are 2 ” – 6 ” inches tall and 1 ” – 3 ” in wide .
The prickles are about 2 - 3 mm farsighted and borne in impenetrable cluster on whitish areoles .
The barbs ( spine ) on these succulents are fine than human hair and can come away from the pad at the lightest touch .
These cacti have a slow maturation rate and take anywhere from 10 to 20 years to hand ultimate pinnacle .
More onCactus Plant Care
Flowering And The Polka Dot Cactus
The flowering of Opuntia microdasys bunny ears is uncommon as potted plants .
However , the genus Opuntia blooms profusely when plants are in the ground .
The bloom time is in other spring . with the blossom sitting on the out edges of the pad - like stems .
Opuntia microdasysblooms are pipe bowl - shaped , crimson - tinged or with pure sensationalistic efflorescence .
The flowers are comparatively large ( around 2 ” inch wide in diameter ) .
They turn into red or purple 2 ” inch foresightful fruits .
Light & Temperature
These plants are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 8 - 12 . In these regions , Opuntia boom in promising full sunlight while also being able to allow partial shade .
If your indoor bunny girl ear cactus does n’t get enough light , use a cool livid fluorescent fixture tube for 14 - 16 hours a daytime .
When growing the cactus in a clay jackpot indoors , it can tolerate temperatures as mellow as 100 ° degrees Fahrenheit ( 38 ° C ) but without flowering .
In winter months , temperature between 45 ° – 55 ° degrees Fahrenheit ( 7 ° – 13 ° coke ) are optimal .
Watering and Feeding
Whether it ’s this cactus or another one , watering is one thing you do n’t have to vex about too much in the right weather .
Too much water could cause the death of the plant .
However , you do want to provide enough to keep it strong in the mature time of year .
Wait for the dirt to dry out out before giving enough water system to moisten it , allowing the excess water drain out completely .
When the temperatures dip low in the fall and wintertime , water sparingly every 3 - 4 weeks .
Feed the plant with acactus plant foodor low nitrogen liquid fertilizer every other watering during recent spring and early summer .
check that to thin out the formula .
Soil & Transplanting Opuntia Microdasys
Loam or sandy grunge work best for cacti .
One crucial ingredient of the grunge is the drain .
Use a commercialcactus potting mixor make your own with one part potting dirt and one part perlite .
Repotting the works is required infrequently as the works takes its sweet time to get and distribute .
Every 1 to 2 years , transplantation into a the Great Compromiser smoke bigger than the premature one .
Opuntia microdasys bunny should have a drain hole along with room to grow .
Repotting should be done in the summer , post - bloom of youth .
transplant in - ground cactus should be done in the same season or when you spread using cutting .
Be very careful as the bristle are sharp and a skin irritant .
Place the cauterise part upright in moist grime .
If the thinning is too marvellous to persist unsloped , lay it mat for a few weeks .
Plant when Modern roots come forth .
Grooming and Maintenance
The Mickey Mouse cactus does n’t really want any maintenance and grooming for cosmetic purposes .
take out undesirable paddles to control the size of it of your cactus .
Use a acuate uninventive tongue and gloves to flawlessly trend the unwanted diggings .
Keep the site of the cut dry until it callous .
For a totally dissimilar flavour check out :
Propagation Of Bunny Ear Cactus Succulents
The prickly pear cacti are circularize mainly from cutting .
The dark gullible pad separate naturally .
Using gloves , twist off a 1 ” inch or marvellous lodgings at its basis so no part stay on the mother flora .
Use a knife to cut off the lodgings . Allow the cutting to dry out and callous for a while before repotting it .
Refer to the Soil & Transplanting section for further information on planting the bunny girl ears cactus cutting .
Start cactus from seeds although they are extremely slow to germinate and need specific temperature ( 68 ° – 86 ° degrees Fahrenheit ( 20 ° – 30 ° C ) ) .
You go them indoors and then move them alfresco or to a larger pot when large enough to handle .
Bunny Ear Cactus Plant Pest or Diseases
The plant is mostly free of most pestis problems . There might be occasional susceptibleness to scale insects andsucculent mealybug pests .
Consult your local horticulture marrow for a resolution or soak a cotton bollock in intoxicant to pass over the pads .
As for diseases , the plant life is not pretend by major problems .
However , if your cactus is planted in soils with poor drainage or gamey wet soil , they can droop .
More onControlling Bugs on Succulent Plants
Opuntia Microdasys Plant Uses
The appearing of bunny ears cactus has a risible resemblance to a rabbit ’s head and is the ground for its popularity .
Many homeowner have this soft to grow cactus as a succulent pot indoor houseplant or as a great addition to asucculent rock gardenand Mediterranean garden .
Being desert plant , it grows quite well in xeriscape garden .
