Opuntia also native to sandy coastal beach scrub environments of the East Coast from Florida to southern Connecticut ("Opuntia humifusa"). "Opuntia" species are the most cold-tolerant of the lowland cacti, extending into western and southern Canada; one subspecies, "O. fragilis" var. "fragilis", has been found growing along the Beatton River in central British Columbia, southwest of Cecil Lake at 56° 17’ N latitude and 120° 39’ W longitude. Prickly pears also produce a fruit, commonly eaten in Mexico and in the Mediterranean region, known as "tuna"; it also is used to make "aguas frescas". The fruit can be red, wine-red, green,
Opuntia ovaries per carpel. Placentation is parietal, and the fruit is a berry with arillate seeds. Prickly pear species can vary greatly in habit; most are shrubs, but some, such as "Opuntia echios" of the Galápagos, are trees. "O. ficus-indica" thrives in regions with mild winters having a prolonged dry spell followed by hot summers with occasional rain and relatively low humidity. A mean annual rainfall of provides good growth rates. "O. ficus-indica" proliferates in various soils ranging from sub-acid to sub-alkaline, with clay content not exceeding 15-20% and the soil well-drained. The shallow root system enables the plant to grow