Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?

Post by **edds** » Sat Mar 20, 2021 2:24 pm

Can someone more experienced than me help please?

I saw this on my oldest Opuntia fragilis today,

: IMG-20210320-WA0020.jpg (59.24 KiB) Viewed 910 times

It's hard to see as my phone camera struggled to focus on it but could this be a flower bud rather than a new pad?

Post by **RAYWOODBRIDGE** » Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:22 pm

Most O. fragilis pads start off life as a red dot, then pink and finally green leaves appear. Also it is a bit early for flower buds on fragilis , but who knows ?

Post by **edds** » Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:47 pm

Thanks Ray. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Post by **edds** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:30 am

To close this off (and so that when I have the same thought next year I can search on here and answer my own question) it was a pad growing.

Post by **Phil_SK** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:36 am

I think, as well, I'd expect to see flowers at the tips of the branch-end segments.

Post by **edds** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:24 am

Interesting Phil - one of the reasons I wasn't sure about this being a pad or flower (as well as the shape of the 'bud') was that it was halfway along one of the oldest segments. I don't grow any other Opuntia though so every day's a learning curve!

Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?

Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?

Re: Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?

Re: Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?

Re: Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?

Re: Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?

Re: Opuntia fragilis bud or pad?