![]() NPS/ Kenneth Ingham Prickly pear cacti also depend on cloning for replication. The pads of the plant are actually stems that grow from a section of the plant called a joint. Large heavy pads, wind, predation, and age are factors in when a joint and attached pad may break away from the rest of the plant. Once this happens the joint begins to grow shallow roots, even in dry soil, to create a clone of the plant. Cloned mounds of prickly pear may contain hundreds of clones and grow to over 14 feet wide. These large colonies provide essential shelter for animals such as rattlesnakes and birds. |
Last updated: January 14, 2020