Hi, farmfreedom
Well there are a lot that do, namely the genus Opuntia. Prickly pear cactus, as their commonly called are the most productive cacti grown for fruit. There are others, but none are as prolific in fruiting as Opuntia. The two most known web sites for infomation on cacti are:
http://www.cactiguide.com/
and
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
There are thousands of others, if you google on the subject of fruiting cacti or other searches like cacti farming, I'm sure you'll find what you need to know.
Question though, in your profile you don't list where you are, in your venture it would be advisable to start this in the Southwest. I was out there last spring turing Arizona, and I saw fields and fields of Prickly pear cactus all in fruit. So there must be money to be made out of farming them.

Good luck, farmerted361:)

wow John,
that is quite an informative list, from the little I know, all cacti produce edible fruit, though taste is another subject. Some like rhipsalis act as laxatives......the only one I did not see listed was selenicereus, esp. S. Megalanthus (yellow pitaya). Other than that, very nice list.

-Ethan

Wow John, your knowledge of cactus plants is very impressive!

I checked out all of your listings of sources and still can't seem to come up with one for the Beavertail Cactus, "Opuntia Basilaris".

I am trying to create a cactus and succulent garden in my yard and need plants that are zone 5 hardy. I have located a nice yellow flowered variety named "Humifusa", but would also like to have a pink/red flowered one. I would really appreciate any help you could give me. I did find seeds for the Basilaris but would of course prefer a live plant. Surely, there must be one available somewhere....

Thanks for any help you can offer.....Patsy

John you are so right, and you response is well written, I enjoyed reading it. We even eat the fruit of Rhipsalis, I would search out what you can eat and what you can't. Most books will not suggest that what is ediable. I always let my boss eat the fruit first before I put it in my mouth and then wait to make sure he swallows it. LOL I can only find that flowers are yellow no suggestion of other colors. It is suggested that it is also used for medicine. I used The Cactus Family by Edward Anderson for this information.
By the way the pads or tunas are ediabe as well and can be purchased in grocery stores. There is a receipe book available. The Cactus and Succulent Society's Cactus Cook Book from the CSSA. Norma

hello Shubies,
if you would like to trade, I'm pretty sure what I have is O. Basilaris. I have a picture of the bloom on my home computer, it is vibrant pink.

-Ethan

{{gwi:531438}}

I also have O. Engelmannii

{{gwi:531437}}

Hi again all!

Let's see....

Yes, Ethan, you are quite right: technically all cactus fruits are edible. I should have said "palatable" instead of "edible" because as you rightly note, some cactus fruits are tasteless, or dry, or otherwise not very good to eat. Even the tasty ones, too, have to be de-thorned and (in the case of some of the Opuntias) de-glochidified (to coin a word). And of course, my list was anything but exhaustive-- though I tried to mention some of the purportedly tastier fruits. I did not mention any of the Opuntias-- I am no expert on the genus, though not all produce fruits that are good to eat.

Patsy, you might look on eBay... I have seen several species of Opuntia available there with rose to red to pink to purple flowers... including the Santa Rita cactus, which also has the attraction of purplish cladodes (which is the official name, I understand, for the "pads"). On eBay you will find, not only the "beavertail" variety of Opuntia, but also a number of "chollas" (which have cylindrical stem segments), some of which also produce palatable fruits. AND make excellent living fences. (Better than barbed wire!) Also-- Opuntia humifusa is the most common Eastern species of Opuntia, and grows all the way north to Canada and Massachusetts. Many of the desert species will also be cold hardy, but the trick for them will be keeping them from rotting in the wet eastern winters... perhaps they can be grown in raised beds under overhangs where they are shielded from too much rain, and also a tad sheltered, with a south or southeast exposure. Use a lot of grit and coarse sand in the soil in such beds, and have gravel underlying them, or situate them on a slope where water can sink down and run off rather than pool around the plants. Most of the really large cacti like the Saguaro and Cardon will not do in Zone 4. There are, however, some smaller ones that can be grown in this zone with proper care: Pediocactus simpsonii, Escobaria vivipara, Echinocereus viridiflorus, and Escobaria missouriensis, and their varieties, are among the nicest of them. As to Opuntias, there is great variability in flower color in many species, though most have at least a yellow phase. But try these: Opuntia erinacea, only a few varities of which are yellow-flowered, most being rose, pink, salmon, reddish, or orange in color, and as the species is native to mountains in Utah and Colorado it should be adaptable to your locale. Also, as mentioned here, Opuntia basilaris, also with lovely red/cerise/purplish flowers in some varieties (though others are yellow). The Dwarf Cholla, Opuntia (Cornyopuntia) pulchella has lovely purple-pink flowers. The fruits are said to be juicy, so might be edible. The Staghorn cholla Cylindropuntia versicolor, has flowers of many colors, some plants having grape=purple or rose or red or brick red or salmon or even green flowers. Another common cholla, the Tree cholla Cylindropuntia imbricata, has magenta flowers. As the tree cholla lives in Kansas and Oklahoma as well as Colorado it is likely to adapt to your locale. Cylindropuntia leptocaulis ("Desert Christmas Cactus") has fruits the Indians make jam from. Another m,ostly yellow-flowered Opuntia, O. macrorhiza, has palatable fruits. Some varities of this have flowers in colors other than yellow. O. littoralis has bicolor red and yellow flowers, to salmon colored ones, and edible fruits, and a similar species is O. phaeacantha and its several varieties.

Search for the High Country Gardens website, where they sell a good number of cold-tolerant cactus species. You might also try Arizona Cactus Sales, Grigsby Cactus Gardens, Old Man Cactus, and Cacti.com -- as well, as I mentioned, eBay (which will also often include pictures).

Sylvia, a good point-- I noticed that many Rhipsalis have juicy looking berries. Though some are odd colors!

Oh, and I should make a note, I mentioned Cereus repandus in my first posting-- it is more commonly available under the name Cereus peruvianus.

Thanks to all
John

John,
Thanks a lot! I found your information very interesting and helpful. I certainly will be checking on these sites and plants. Here in our part of the state of Montana,- northwestern - the summers are becoming increasingly hot and dry. Although I don't know of any native cactus except east of the continental divide I believe that most, with a little common sense protection, should do quite well here. I got my start of O.humifusa from a friend that has had them thriving in her yard for several years. They have tasty little tunas. And,they are wonderful and beautiful.
Thanks again
Patsy

I have often made jelly or preserves from prickly pear cactus fruits (tunas) and everyone loves it, though it takes a good deal of work. My specific choice is what I know as Englemanii linguiformis (Cow's tongue) cactus which has large, long pads that narrow toward the top, and yield larger, darker purple fruits. I'm delighted to know that the yellow barrel cactus fruits are also edible. I've mostly seen these used as landscape plants near commercial enterprises here in El Paso, Tx. If prickly pear cactus jelly is "gourmet", surely barrel cactus jelly would be as rare as truffles.

Here is a link that might be useful: Webshots: Barnchaser

Hi John,
I see you are quite knowledgabe about cactus and I was wondering if I could pick your brain?! I recently purchased a Opuntia basilaris "Santa Rita" as the purple hue on the paddles and yellow flower was irresistable! I know the tuna is edible but I was wondering about the paddles. I also purchased an opuntia rubescens but cant find any information as to whether it is edible (so I may be returning it shortly). If you have any knowledge I'd love to hear it!

Thanks,
Briana

I have receipes that you may want just ask.
I gave my son 2 opuntias that were being grown in Israel for the tasty fruit it produces, or course it is a hybid made especially for the fruit so their must be a market for it, they would not use up valuable land space otherwise. Norma

Briana,

The pads are edible, too. You can boil them and many Mexican markets have jars of it. It is often used in salads.

are ALL opuntias edible? I have the o. humifusa in my garden, and it's about to bloom for the first time. i'd love to try the fruit if i know it won't do me in! ;)

I didn't see anyone list Mammillarias...the small fruits taste kind of like watery strawberries. But an excellent list so far!

Hi John,

I was wondering I live in southern kentucky plant zone 6 supposed to be

And I was wondering what cactus plants would you recommend besides the prickly pear what beautiful cactus would you recommend that could live outside here you have great knowledge on them so I was asking like to have one that you could eat the fruit and it be tasty but none of the opuntia ones is there another one please u

Wtliftr hi

John did say a verity of the mammillaria he said 9 different species of this

I am not sure what kind of cactus this is, I was told it was one kind, but the reference pictures did not look the same. Some of the branches have a slight spiral and the flowers are white tinted green and are about 7 inches across. I just peeled and ate one of the fruits. It tasted great, like a tart strawberry. Now to see how it affects me. Can anybody tell me more about this cactus.

Well the pictures did not go through.

There is one called a dragon fruit cactus. The fruits, which can be red or yellow, are edible.

I have one in my house, but it hasn't grown fruits yet.