Plant of the month: Indian fig Arizona Daily Star
The Indian fig cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) is one of at least 18 species of the prickly pear cactus. It is a native plant, and as such is pretty bulletproof — it tolerates drought, reflected heat and full sun, and is hardy to around 16 F. The cultivar 'Burbank spineless' is great for home gardens, because it has no large spines (although it does have glochids) and has a sculptural growth habit as large as the height of a small tree.