Protecting Fragrant Prickly-Apple Cactus at the Park

By Jimi Sadle

Biologist, Canaveral National Seashore

Photos by Jimi Sadle, Canaveral National Seashore

You might be surprised to hear that only one of the 637 native plant species found in Canaveral National Seashore is a Federally listed endangered species. You also might not expect it to be a cactus.

Fragrant prickly-apple (Harrisia fragrans) is a ribbed, columnar cactus making it readily distinguishable from the more familiar prickly pear cactus that are common in the National Seashore. Prickly-apple produce large bronze and white flowers followed by red fruit that are about the size of an apple – hence the common name.

This species is only found in Florida and is rare across its range. The population in Canaveral is a small, isolated occurrence and represents the northernmost plants in the United States. The next closest extant location for this species is about 80 miles south in Indian River County.

Fragrant prickly-apple was first recorded in the Seashore when a single individual plant was found in 1976 on Turtle Mound. This location has long attracted botanists due to the subtropical flora (and I am certain warm winter temperatures were also part of the draw for these botanists!). The fact that it was not recorded earlier at this location suggests it was probably never that common in this part of Florida.

Several hard freezes in the 1980s appear to have led to the loss of the lone plant at Turtle Mound. In 2006, fragrant prickly-apple was rediscovered in the Seashore a few miles south of Turtle Mound. A survey was conducted and about 100 individuals were observed. Resource management staff resurveyed the entire range in 2024 and found just 21 living plants. This represents a decline of about 78 percent in the intervening 20 years.

We are not certain why the number of plants decreased since the previous survey. Impacts from storm surges, rooting by wild pigs and competition from invasive plants, such as Brazilian pepper, all may have contributed to the decline. Staff at the park are keeping close tabs on the remaining plants with regular monitoring of the population.



Invasive plant control and wild pig removal are both prioritized for the area where plants occur. With a little luck and some perseverance, our endangered prickly-apple will remain a part of the Seashore’s flora for the foreseeable future! Please remember: all plants and animals in the National Seashore are protected by law and may not be disturbed.