Joseph’s Coat, Irish Mittens, Dildo, Eltham Indian Fig, Pak’an, Sweet Prickly Pear

Opuntia monacantha

op-UN-shee-a  mon-ah-KANTH-?

(Syn. Opuntia monacantha var. variegata)

op-UN-shee-a  mon-ah-KANTH-uh  var-ee-GAY-tuh

Synonyms of Opuntia monacantha (16) (Updated on 12-14-25 from Plants of the World Online): Cactus indicus Roxb. (1824), Cactus monacanthos Willd. (1814), Cactus opuntia var. parvifolius Risso (1826), Cactus urumbeba Vell. (1829), Opuntia deflexa Lem. (1839), Opuntia gracilior Lem. (1839), Opuntia inermis Moris & De Not. (1839) (nom. illeg.), Opuntia lemaireana Console ex Bois (1898), Opuntia monacanthos var. deflexa Salm-Dyck (1850), Opuntia monacanthos var. gracilior Lem. (1839), Opuntia monacanthos f. jejuensis Jekuk Kim ex Y.S.Yang (2022), Opuntia monacanthos var. variegata Anon. (1874), Opuntia monacanthos (Willd.) Doe (1833) (non O. monacantha), Opuntia roxburghiana Voigt (1845), Opuntia urumbeba (Vell.) Steud. (1841), Opuntia vulgaris var. lemaireana (Console ex Bois) Backeb. (1958)

Opuntia monacantha var. variegata Anon. is the scientific name of the variegated variety of Opuntia monacantha. It was first mentioned in the Gardener’s Chronicles in 1874. This variety is considered a synonym of Opuntia monacantha.

Opuntia monacantha Haw. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Opuntia. It was named and described as such by Adrian Hardy Haworth in Supplementum Plantarum Succulentarum in 1819. It was first named and described as Cactus monacanthos by Carl Ludwig von Willdenow in Enumeratio Plantarum Supplementum in 1814. 

The genus, Opuntia (L.) Mill., was named and described as such by Philip Miller in The Gardener’s Dictionary in 1754. Until then most genera of cactus were simply in the genus Cactus as described by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 12-14-25 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online by Kew lists 143 species in the Opuntia genus. It is a member of the plant family Cactaceae with 157 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.

I found this interesting cactus at Wagler’s Greenhouse on March 28, 2020, so I brought it home. It measured 4 3/4” tall x 2 1/4” wide at the time. I didn’t know what it was because it had no label as many of their “in-house” plants don’t. They have quite a collection of larger plants they take cuttings from that are unlabeled. When I take plants to them I always include a label… I wasn’t sure what the name of this plant was so posted the photos on Succulent Infatuation (a Facebook group) and a member suggested it was an Opuntia monacantha var. variegata. As always, they were correct. 🙂

Even though the “variety” name is not an “accepted” scientific name, I will use it anyway because this “variety” is different from the species. I can use it because the name was validly published.

Llifle (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) lists this plant as Opuntia monacantha f. monstruosa variegata hort. and says it is one of very few naturally occurring white-variegated cacti. It says it is a dwarf, teratological variant of the larger Opuntia monacantha. This variegated variety can be variegated or marbled with white, creamy white, yellow, green, and sometimes with pink in various patterns.

Because it is a monstrous form, it looks nothing like the species. Supposedly, this form grows less than 20″ tall but it can grow taller, up to maybe 36″. The species in the wild is a bushy or tree-like cactus that can grow from 6 to about 20′ tall. In the wild, the species grows huge pads like Prickly Pears normally do, but this monstrous form grows much differently. There are photos online of this variegated variety that shows a multitude of shapes and sizes so it will be interesting to watch grow.

The above photos show the areolas with a small amount of wool, small spines, and a pinkish color.

From the side, the main stem of the Opuntia monacantha is very thin. Sorry, this photo isn’t focused very well…

The above photo is a close-up of the numerous side branches.

I had to bring in the potted plants on October 15 (2020) because an “F” was in the forecast. I always take photographs and measurements to see how they have progressed over the year. Just since March 28 when I brought this plant home, it has grown from 4 3/4″ tall to 6 1/4″ tall on October 15.

As it grows, the lower branches seem to become longer and flatter. I am not normally a big fan of most Opuntia species, but this one is an exception. I think it is very neat.

<<<<2021>>>>

The Opuntia monacantha var. variegata has done quite well and has grown to 8 1/2″ tall when the above photo was taken on August 17. The top broke off earlier in the summer but it grew a new pad to replace the one that fell off.

USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay
Zones: USDA Zones 9a-10b (20-35° F)
Size: Usually less than 20” but can grow up to 3’or more.
Light: Sun to part shade
Soil: Very fast-draining soil. Potting Soil with additional perlite and chicken grit or 50/50 potting soil and pumice.
Water: Regular watering during the summer but barely during the winter.

 <<<<2022>>>>

I had to bring the potted plants inside for the winter on October 16 in 2022. I put all the cactus on the front porch with the succulents in the spring and most of them did quite well. The Opuntia monacantha grew to 12 3/8″ tall and 4 1/2″ wide (at the widest point). That is over triple in size since 2020 and over 4″ taller than last October.

The above photo is the top portion of the Opuntia monacantha…

<<<<2023>>>>

Even though there was no “F” in the forecast until October 30, it was going to be a rainy week so I moved the potted plants inside on the 23rd and 24th. Time for photos and measurements… 

The Opuntia monacantha var. variegata did very well during the summer on the front porch despite the heat and drought. It measured 14” tall when I moved it inside for the winter. 

<<<<2024>>>>

I had to move the potted plants inside on 11-14-24 because there was a frost in the forecast. I took photos and measurements as I brought them inside. The Opuntia monacantha var. variegata (Joseph’s Coat) measured 13 5/8 ” tall despite a little neglect. It is a little taller if I straighten it up a little… They hadn’t received any water for a while which is why some of the cacti shrunk… After a few days, I moved the plants back outside for a while and gave them a good soaking. They like it better outside…

I almost forgot to mention this cactus was repotted into a larger pot on 5-29-24. I decided to use Dr. Earth Cactus Mix.

<<<<2025>>>>

I didn’t have to move the potted plants inside for the winter until November 5 in 2025. Most of the plants did exceptionally well, including this Opuntia monacantha var. variegata. It measured approximately 13 3/4″ tall when I moved it inside. Hopefully, it will continue to do well in the house over the winter.

I have grown many species of cacti since 2009 and some have done quite well and some not so well. I have enjoyed watching this species grow since I brought it home in 2020.

You can read my Cactus Talk & Update and Cactus & Succulent Tips to get my opinion about growing cactus and succulents.

When you bring your new plants home from the store, you need to check their roots and the soil to see if they are wet. If so, you may want to re-pot it right away. It is advisable to re-pot them in a better potting soil more suitable for cactus and succulents.

The Opuntia monacantha var. variegata has definitely been an interesting cactus to watch grow. There is apparently a cultivar called ‘Maverick’ available… There isn’t a whole lot of information online about this plant, but I have found that LLIFLE (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) has a lot of useful information.

I will continue adding photos and information as time goes by.

I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant. If you feel I have made an error, please let me know.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
LLIFLE (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIVING FORMS)
DAVE’S GARDEN
CACTIGUIDE (GENUS/SPECIES)