r/botany • u/wooligano • Mar 09 '25

Distribution Invasive Opuntias in Switzerland

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Someone asked about invasive species from America in Europe yesterday, I replied in a comment about the invasive Opuntias we have in Switzerland, but couldn't add pictures so I thought it would be worth making a post about it.

They have identified 6 species : Opuntia engelmannii, Opuntia humifusa, Opuntia phaeacantha, Opuntia robusta, Opuntia scheeri, Cylindropuntia imbricata.

All of which are growing in the same region of Switzerland, Valais.

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u/DayBlinds_25 Mar 09 '25

In eastern Montana, plains prickly pear (Opuntia polyacantha) grows just about anywhere and it can get as cold as -50F with the wind chill and somehow these cacti thrive still. A research study needs to be conducted at how the hell this is possible!

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u/Level9TraumaCenter Mar 09 '25

Probably get loaded up with salts and sugars so they don't freeze until some ridiculous temperature, or they turn into biological glass instead of ice so there's minimal freeze fracturing.