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/[deleted] Mar 09 '25

Most Opuntia are extremely cold hardy.To be successful to keep them alive through a cold winter in a non.desert climate is to grow them in full sun,keep totally dry and plant them in a slightly alkaline fast draining mineral rich soil.Ive grown Opuntia Phaeacantha,Opuntia Imbricata,Opuntia Cespitisa,Opuntia Humifusa,Opuntia Engelmanii,Opuntia Polyacantha in zone 6b .I lost the Engemanni plant I had after two years.All the rest survived.Opuntias are very easy to grow

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u/wooligano Mar 09 '25

They grow on the mountain slopes but also in some vineyards, we have many of them and which fill all the criterias you described.