Creeping pear (Opuntia humifusa)

Also known as: creeping cactus

Creeping pear is a low growing cactus with light coloured spines, yellow flowers and red fruit. It forms dense prickly barriers to movement and the spines can injure people and animals.

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How does this weed affect you?

Creeping pear can outcompete other plants and form dense infestations. It:

• reduces productivity by outcompeting pasture plants and reducing access to feed
• restricts the movement of animals and people
• outcompetes native plants in sunny locations
• reduces food and habitat for native animals
• has sharp spines that can injure people, livestock, working dogs and pets

What does it look like?

Creeping pear is a low, spreading, often clumped plant up to 40 cm high.

Stems (pads or cladodes) are:

• yellow green to dark green
• oval, circular or slightly diamond shaped
• flat
• mostly 3–15 cm long 
• wrinkled when cold or water stressed
• usually close to the ground but more upright when flowering.

Cacti pads have bumps on the surface called areoles. Spines, barbed bristles (glochids), leaves, flowers, fruit, roots and new shoots all grow out of the areoles.

Spines are:

• brownish to nearly white
• often absent or 1-2 per areole 
• 3–5 cm long
• often barbed when young.

Bristles are:

• light yellow, light brown or translucent (darker as they age)
• up to 6 mm long
• sometimes variable in size on the one areole.

Flowers are:

• yellow sometimes with a red centre
• 5–9 cm in diameter.

Fruit are:

• red or purplish
• oval shaped
• 2–5 cm long.

Similar looking plants

Creeping pear looks similar to other Opuntias, but its low growing habit helps distinguish it from other species.

Where is it found?

In NSW, creeping pear has naturalised in the Hunter region in the Singleton and Muswellbrook areas.

Creeping pear is native to eastern United States of America and south-eastern Canada. 

What type of environment does it grow in?

Creeping pear tolerates a wide range of climates from sub-tropical to cool temperate. Plants grows best in disturbed sandy soils in full sun. Shade will limit flowering and heavy shade may kill the plants.

Maps and records

• Recorded presence of Creeping pear during property inspections (Map: Biosecurity Information System - Weeds, 2017-2026)
  These records are made by authorised officers during property inspections under the Biosecurity Act 2015. Officers record the presence of priority weeds in their council area and provide this to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Records reflect the presence of the weed on the date of inspection.
  
  

How does it spread?

By plant parts

Creeping pear can regrow from pads, fragments of pads and also flower stems and immature fruits. Fragments can be spread by animals, vehicles, or people dumping garden waste.

By seed

Plants produce seeds in their native environment, but it is not known if they produced viable seeds in Australia.

References

Abella, S. R., & Jaeger, J. F. (2004). Ecology of eastern prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) in Oak Openings Preserve, northwestern Ohio. The Michigan Botanist, 43, 1.

Harvey, K.J., McConnachie, A.J., Sullivan, P. Holtkamp, R., & Officer, D. (2021). Biological control of weeds: a practitioner's guide for south east Australia. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange.

Majure, L. C., & Ervin, G. N. (2008). The opuntias of Mississippi. Haseltonia, 2008(14), 111-126.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 18 March 2024 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Opuntia~humifusa

Sheehan, M. R., & Potter, S. (2017). Managing Opuntioid Cacti in Australia: Best Practice Control Manual for Austrocylindropuntia, Cylindropuntia and Opuntia Species. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

More information

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Control

Successful weed control relies on follow up after the initial efforts. This means looking for and killing regrowth or new seedlings. Using a combination of control methods is usually more successful.

Prevention

To help prevent the spread of creeping pear:

• Do not grow it in gardens or pots.
• Do not take cuttings of unknown cactus plants to grow out or share with others.
• Avoid driving through areas with cacti.
• If you have been in an area with cacti check under vehicles, caravans, and machinery before leaving the infested area.
• Remove all cactus plant parts using pliers or tongs and dispose of them appropriately.

Disposal

Dispose of creeping pear plant parts by burying at least one metre deep or burning in a hot fire. Contact your local council for information about other disposal options.

Physical control

Dig up small or isolated plants using a mattock or other tools. Wear appropriate protective clothing and gloves to protect against injuries from spines or bristles. Dense infestations or large isolated plants can be removed with machinery where there is good access to the site, the site is not environmentally sensitive and plant parts can be safely disposed of. Ensure the roots are dug out and that all plant parts are disposed of.

Shade

Heavy shade will reduce flowering and growth. Planting trees and shrubs can limit growth in the long term.

Biological control

The cactoblastis moth, (Cactoblastis cactorum) is a successful biological control agents for creeping pear. It is widespread and does not usually need to be redistributed. 

Chemical control

Spot spraying

Herbicides are especially useful for sparse, scattered infestations. Spray actively growing plants. Cover all parts of the plant with herbicide to the point of visible wetness. Check treated plants and control new growth.

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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Picloram 100 g/L + Triclopyr 300 g/L + Aminopyralid 8 g/L (Grazon® Extra)
Rate: 500 mL per 100 L of water
Comments: Spray actively growing plants, thoroughly cover all of the plant with herbicide mix to the point of runoff. Follow the label instructions as per prickly pear (common). Regrowth may occur, so a follow-up application may be necessary. To improve uptake add a paraffinic oil at the rate of 500 mL per 100 L of water.
Withholding period: Where product is used to control woody weeds in pastures there is a restriction of 12 weeks for use of treated pastures for making hay and silage; using hay or other plant material for compost, mulch or mushroom substrate; or using animal waste from animals grazing on treated pastures for compost, mulching, or spreading on pasture/crops.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Triclopyr 240 g/L + Picloram 120 g/L (Access™ )
Rate: 1.0 L in 60 L of diesel (or biodiesel such as Biosafe).
Comments: Spray actively growing plants, wetting all areas of the plant to ground level.
Withholding period: Nil
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Triclopyr 300 g/L + Picloram 100 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 500 mL per 100 L of water
Comments: Spray actively growing plants, thoroughly cover all of the plant. Follow the label instructions as per prickly pear (common). To improve uptake add a paraffinic oil at the rate of 500 mL per 100 L of water.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Triclopyr 600 g/L (Garlon® 600)
Rate: 800 mL per 60 L of diesel.
Comments: Spray actively growing plants, thoroughly cover all of the plant. Follow the label instructions as per common prickly pear (Opuntia spp.).
Withholding period: Not required when used as directed. If use is off-label check permit.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Triclopyr 600 g/L (Garlon® 600)
Rate: 3.0 L per 100 L of water
Comments: Spray actively growing plants, thoroughly cover all of the plant to the point of runoff. Follow the label instructions as per common prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) To improve uptake add a paraffinic oil at the rate of 500 mL per 100 L of water.
Withholding period: Not required when used as directed. If use is off-label check permit.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.
All of NSW	Prohibition on certain dealings Must not be imported into the state, sold, bartered, exchanged or offered for sale.
Central Tablelands	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Asset Protection) Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. A person should not buy, sell, move, carry or release the plant into the environment. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
Central West	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Asset Protection) Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. A person should not buy, sell, move, carry or release the plant into the environment. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
Hunter	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Asset Protection) Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. A person should not buy, sell, move, carry or release the plant into the environment. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
Murray	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Whole of region: Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. A person should not buy, sell, move, carry or release the plant into the environment. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
Western	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Whole of region: Land managers mitigate the risk of new weeds being introduced to their land. Within exclusion zone: Land managers should eradicate the plant from the land and keep the land free of the plant. A person should not deal with the plant, where dealings include but are not limited to buying, selling, growing, moving, carrying or releasing the plant. Notify local control authority if found. Within core infestation: Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. A person should not buy, sell, move, carry or release the plant into the environment. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
	*To see the Regional Strategic Weeds Management Plans containing demonstrated outcomes that fulfil the general biosecurity duty for this weed click here

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Reviewed 2024