Help us maintain this website and keep it free and open for our community of scientists, students, and conservation managers, who depend on it to obtain the most up to date information. Help us save species and restore native ecosystems!

Close

Please scroll to the bottom for more images.
Opuntia cochenillifera (L.) Mill.
Cochineal cactus

Opuntia cochenillifera
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley

Family: Cactaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Tree

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Probably native to Mexico, but its origins ared obscured through widespread cultivation.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Not Native, Cultivated Only

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: For more images, click on the USDA PLANTS and Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants links below.

Other data on Opuntia cochenillifera available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Opuntia cochenillifera has been found in the following 30 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Atlantic Dunes Park Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Cultivated Only
Bahia Honda State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Big and Little George Hammocks Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Biscayne National Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Blue Heron Hammock, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Everglades National Park Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Cultivated Only
Florida City Pineland Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Cultivated Only
George N. Avery Pineland Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Hattie Bauer Hammock Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Juno Dunes Natural Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Koreshan State Historic Site Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Lake San Pedro Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Navy Wells Pineland 23 Present Not Native, Naturalized
Ramrod Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Rosemary Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Savannas Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Seabranch Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Seacrest Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Snake Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Spoonbill Sound Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Sunny Palms Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Yamato Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only

Opuntia cochenillifera has been found in the following 2 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Lee County Not Native, Cultivated Only
Monroe County (Keys) Recorded as Present in Error

Opuntia cochenillifera has been found in the following habitat :
Disturbed Upland

All Images:

Opuntia cochenillifera
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley