Opuntia keeps in livestock and marks the boundaries of family lands. They are resilient and often grow back following removal. The cactus lends its name to a song by British jazz/classical group Portico Quartet. The song "My Rival", on the album "Gaucho" by the American jazz-pop group Steely Dan begins with the words, "The wind was driving in my face/The smell of prickly pear." In the fall of 1961, Cuba had its troops plant an barrier of "Opuntia" cactus along the northeastern section of the fence surrounding the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to stop Cubans from escaping Cuba to take refuge
Opuntia ficus-indica limit of prickly pear is above 50 °C. As the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica are delicate, they need to be carefully harvested by hand. The small spines on the fruits are removed by rubbing them on an abrasive surface or sweeping them through grass. Before consumption, they are peeled and sliced. The pads of the plant (mainly used as fodder) also need to be harvested by hand. The pads are cut with a knife, detaching the pad from the plant in the joint. If Opuntia ficus-indica is cultivated for forage production, spineless cultivars are preferred. However, also wild types of