Prickly Pear

Christopher Columbus has been attributed with the responsibility for the introduction of Prickly Pear to the European mainland from Mexico. The Mexicans utilized the plant by cooking both leaves and fruit as a form of sustenance.
Once the plant arrived in Europe it quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean, and the Venetians are thought to have introduced it to Greece where they used it as a form of natural barrier around valuable crops. In Greece the leaves have been used as fodder for animals by burning off the hard thorns and the fruit is edible and if you value your fingers is best approached by peeling with a sharp knife and fork. Be careful though as a small amount of the fruit is a cure for an upset bowel, too much fruit will only exacerbate the condition. The plant can grow up to 5 metres high and is regularly seen scattered along the roadsides and cultivated areas on Corfu.