Cup o' prickly pear from Santa

We’re all familiar with noodle cups:

Santa brought me the cactus equivalent: a cup o’ prickly pears!

The eco-friendly cup is made from pressed bamboo fibers and rice husks and is filled with a growing medium pre-mixed with prickly pear seeds (hopefully the seeds are on top). All I need to do is add water and keep it in a warm spot.

I’m a sucker for this kind of thing – Santa clearly knows that. The Prickly Pear Cactus Ecocup is sold exclusively at Indigo, a Canadian bookstore chain, but Santa knew how to get me one because Santa has connections in Canada.

Step 1: Remove the round piece of cardboard on top of the mix

Step 2: Add 60 ml (2 oz) of water

The medium is a “natural nutritional granulate and the pre-mixed seeds”

Step 3: Slip the included baggie over the cup

Step 4: Place in a bright and warm spot

The instructions say to add 50 ml (1.7 oz) of water every 3-5 days. That seems excessive to me, but I suppose I should do what I’m told.

According to label, “in about 18-26 days, the prickly pear cactus will start to grow” (I assume that means germinate). “After about 1 year,” the label continues, “you can transplant the prickly pear cactus into a bigger pot.” The cup can then be reused or composted.

The photo on the cup shows an Indian fig (Opuntia ficus-indica) so I assume that’s what the seeds are. The label doesn’t give a botanical name; we’ll know soon enough what it is. I’ll post an update when there’s something to see.

P.S. Am I the only one who has a weak spot for plant-centered novelty gift items? I once received something called Poinsettia in a Can, which was a complete dud. Hope springs eternal though, and I expect a more successful outcome from my cup o’ prickly pear.

© Gerhard Bock, 2025. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.