Prickly pear cacti, which normally appear in hot, dry climates such as the Grand Canyon, are invading the Swiss Alps in a new"A lover of dry and hot climates, this invasive and non-native plant is not welcome," the municipality of Fully announced as part of an uprooting drive at the end of 2022,The plants, which have been present since the 18th century, are spreading significantly in some Alpine regions of Switzerland and Italy.
Yann Triponez, a biologist who works in the canton of Valais' nature protection service, said that"in some parts of Valais, we estimate that the cacti can occupy one-third of the available surface," perWhilst these plants prefer hot climates, they can cope in temperatures as low as -15 Celsius , botanist Peter Oliver Baumgartner toldDe Martigny à Brigue, ces cactus originaires des USA colonisent la plaine du Rhône à la faveur du changement climatique.