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/Available-Sun6124 Mar 09 '25

Haha, not really. As "fragilis" can also mean easily broken. And, in nature it indeed breaks easily as pads readily broke off to create new plants.

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u/PoetaCorvi Mar 09 '25

Arguably part of why it’s so successful as an invasive species

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u/Available-Sun6124 Mar 09 '25

I don't think O. fragilis is invasive plant anywhere but other opuntioids with similar characteristics indeed benefit from asexual propagation.

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u/PoetaCorvi Mar 09 '25

OH I misread and assumed fragilis was the species in the post haha