Click below to see our plants alphabetically listed by common name with their cures and cooking ideas

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Photographed: At the Jardin de Cactus in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, in 2014.

Photographed: In the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, Australia, in 2013.

Bishop's Cap Cactus, Bishop's Hat or Bishop's Miter Cactus Astrophytum myriostigma
With a little luck this beauty will grow to be as much as 8" wide and 40" tall. Because of its appearance is it a favorite in cactus collections. It does flower, but I wouldn't be holding my breath.
Benefits:
From: Northeastern and central mountainous areas of Mexico
Photographed: Below on the left in the Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, and on the right in the Carlos Thays Botanical Garden in Buenos
Planting and Care: It comes from hot dry areas of Mexico where there is a rainy season only in the summer months. Hence be careful of over watering and keep it in the sun and as warm as possible.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2015

With my gratitude, my cactus mystery #2 was identified by Richard L., a visitor to the site.

Former mysteries 120 and 120a were solved by Samantha B. in Georgia.

Brazilian Pricklypear in Bloom

Euphorbia-polycantha NO COMMON NAME YET
Benefits:
From:
Photographed:
Planting and Care:
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2018

**Leaf Cactus, Rose Cactus, Wax Rose, Seven Star Needle Pereskia bleo
This very appealing plant has EXTREMELY long and piercing spines which makes it difficult to transplant so try to pick the idea spot for it right away so you never have to move it.
Benefits: Research is underway to explore its potential in treating certain cancers.
From: Shady moist forested areas of Central America
Photographed: Growing in a pot by our front door and later while flowering after being planted in the deck garden at our former home in Montserrat.
Planting and growth: This is a warm weather cactus which grew beautifully in the Caribbean in a very sunny spot by the entrance and then in the garden in an area that received morning sun. I found it pretty adaptable, but it did seem to require a hefty amount of fertilizer to be at its best. It also likes more water than most other cactus.
Text & Photographs ©Krika.com 2008 and GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2018

Mystery solved by Ursula G. living in Southern Germany

Mammillaria gracilis No Common Name Yet
Benefits:
From: Mexico
Photographed: In the (Ortobotanico) Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, in 2014.
Planting and Care:
Text and Photograph © GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2014

**Prickly Pear Cactus, Indian Fig Opuntia, Barbury Fig, Cactus Pear, Nopal Cactus, Edible Tree Cactus, Mission Cactus Opuntia ficus-indica
       On the top left is the oval shaped spiny thin leaved branching cactus found in Montserrat, but also so common in Mexico. The leaves are scraped clean of their spines, cooked and eaten most deliciously in omelets.
       The prickly pear cactus in the photo on the bottom left very closely resembles the one above, but its paddles are fat and more icy green in color. In Montserrat they are very subject to a wasting disease that didn't seem to affect our other cactus plants. The ice green prickly pear has chubby oval pads with lots of long sharp spines and will grow to between ten and fifteen feet tall.
Benefits:
In all of the small outlying villages we have visited in Mexico, the paddle shaped leaves of the nopal are believed to have a beneficial effect in controlling diabetes. They may also have a very important effect on cholesterol -- lowering the bad while leaving the good alone!

The fruit is said to be helpful in treating coughs. Carefully peel and wash the pears. Crush the fruit and mix it with honey and lemon or lime juice. Strain the mixture and take it in tablespoons as needed.
From: Probably Mexico
Photographed: On the left and right in our border gardens at our former home in Montserrat.
Planting and Care:
Fruits: Its fruits growing from red and yellow flowers are called tunas in Mexico; I think the English version is prickly pear. Handle these fruits carefully as they do have nasty very tiny spines.
Text and Photographs ©KO 2008 ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2014

Note: The "opuntia" seems to be a huge class of paddle shaped cactus plants. They are quite beautiful and very different from one another in growth, susceptibility to disease, hardiness and more. Still, I haven't been able to find good information on specific plants. They always seem lumped together as opuntia. If you have more information, please get in touch.

Recipe: Tuna Margarita

Crush prickly pear fruits and push them through a sieve to remove the seeds. Add a squeeze of key lime, a few ice cubes and blend with tequila for a very Mexican margarita. We had this drink for the first time in Oaxaca, Mexico, at a tequila festival. We liked it then and we still do!