Opuntia also referred to as the Prickly Pear Cactus is a cactus native to the lower United States and Mexico.
This cactus has a fibrous root system that can extend up to 15 feet horizontally under the soil and can withstand harsh environments.
With that said, the Prickly Pear Cactus can still have issues like other plants if the care provided is not ideal.
So since you’re here, I know you’re having an issue with your Prickly Pear Cactus drooping.
So let’s get to the bottom of this with some common causes and what you can do about it.
Underwatering Prickly Pear
As mentioned above, the Prickly Pear Cactus root system can stem several feet away from the plant.
This is by design as the Prickly Pear can go a while before it actually needs water, but when it does it has a better chance of getting and storing the water collected with it’s long roots.
With that said, if you haven’t watered your Prickly pear in over a month or two, this could be the cause of the cactus looking droopy or wilted.
Although the Prickly Pear can go without much water, it does need a good watering every 2 or 3 weeks.
The best way to know when it’s time to water is when the soil has completely dried up.
This will ensure you’re only watering when necessary but so your cactus still gets enough.
Once you fix the underwatering issue, your Prickly Pear cactus should return to normal.
Overwatering Prickly Pear
Although underwatering can cause a Prickly Pear to droop, so can overwatering.
Giving a cactus too much water can also turn the cactus black, yellow, and a load of other issues.
This is essentially caused by the cactus developing root rot from the source, overwatering.
So even though you need to make sure you’re giving the Prickly Pear enough water, you need to make sure you’re not overdoing it.
It’s much easier to correct and underwatered cactus than an overwatered one that has root rot.
So just be sure to only water when the soil is dry.
If you suspect you have rot, you can check out my article on Prickly Pear Cactus Root Rot which will tell you everything you need to know.
Not Enough Light
Since Opuntia is grown naturally in the southern United States and Mexico, you can expect that this cactus gets a lot of light on a daily basis.
Most cacti in general need between 12-14 hours of bright light per day and the Prickly Pear is no exception.
A lack of light will cause a loss of chlorophyll which is needed to complete photosynthesis, keeping the cactus growing and looking it’s best.
If you’re growing your Prickly Pear indoors by a window and it’s still not getting enough light, then it may be time to finally get that indoor grow light you’ve been putting off.
I recommend this indoor grow light as it’s pretty versatile.
As long as your cactus hasn’t really etiolated or stretched out and is just a bit droopy then it will correct itself once the light conditions are finally met.
Pests
Pests such as mealybugs, scales and fungus ghats can get ahold of your Prickly Pear cactus if the conditions are good for them.
Pests can be a major cause for a Prickly Pear cactus drooping as these pests take nutrients from the cactus and overall stress out the plant.
Some signs of a pest infestation on a cactus include the cactus turning white, a cotton white appearance, holes in the foliage, dark spots and overall the cactus looking droopy or wilted.
If you suspect you have a pest issue going on or see pests, then the first thing you need to do is isolate your Prickly Pear from other plants to prevent them spreading like a wildfire.
Now you will have to remove them in some way ranging from easy to tedious.
Sometimes you can get away with just using some pressured water to spray the pests off your cactus, or by removing them by hand with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Personally I go with the easy way which is using neem oil spray which removes pests, but also helps prevent them from returning.
If you’re looking for some good neem oil then I recommend this neem oil by the way.
Just make sure you only apply it when your Prickly Pear is in shade until it dries.
Once the pests are gone, your cactus will no longer be stressed and should return to how it was before.
Conclusion
So there you have it, the most common causes and solutions for a droopy Prickly Pear Cactus.
Overall I hope you found which of these were the issue and can get back to growing a happy and healthy Prickly Pear Cactus in no time!