One evening around 9 p.m., I was lazily browsing Facebook before going to bed when I came across an invitation to celebrate Cactus Fleuri’s 50th anniversary. The next morning at 9 a.m., I was in the car, headed for Sainte-Madeleine. No planning, just a spur-of-the-moment decision! I expected to discover a nice little business… but certainly not to eat cactus at one of Quebec’s largest succulent producers!
A family, greenhouses, and a green revolution
Cactus Fleuri is the story of Pierrette Martel and André Mousseau, who built their first greenhouse in 1976. Today, with their son Guillaume, they run one of Quebec’s largest companies specializing in cacti and succulents. The numbers speak for themselves: 37,000 square feet of greenhouses, over 700 different varieties, and an annual production of 300,000 units. And yes, all of these desert and tropical plants are grown here, despite our winters!
During the event, I had the chance to chat with Pierrette at length. Since I’m curious and not at all shy, I even got to go behind the scenes: a VIP tour of their production greenhouses, which are not open to the public, with Pierrette—a privilege I’m eager to share with you!
Obviously, all greenhouses are monitored for temperature and humidity, but at Cactus Fleuri, they work with nature, not against it. Winter is not the time for large-scale propagation; the plants are dormant, and they respect that. It’s quite ingenious, actually, because artificial lighting and adequate heating would cost a fortune and exhaust the plants. By respecting this period of rest, spring is more productive, and the plants are stronger and more beautiful during the summer.
En coulisses
Pierrette surprised me when she told me that they sow certain varieties. Their mature plants flower (which is quite an achievement in my eyes, as I can’t even keep an aloe plant alive!), produce seeds, and these are then replanted! Unlike seeds bought online, which rarely sprout, their seeds germinate in just a few days. The secret? Freshness. Cactus seeds quickly lose their viability, so when they are harvested and sown immediately, it makes all the difference. Look at these magnificent trays sown with seeds alone!
For other varieties, the mother plants, which are gigantic, have their young shoots cut off and propagated. While the seeds are replanted immediately, the cuttings are cut, left to dry for at least a month until small roots appear, and then replanted. Each greenhouse has its own purpose: one for mother plants, one for drying cuttings, and one for rooting.
The land stretches out along the road, and when you’re in the shop, you have no idea of the succession of greenhouses behind you or all the stages your little cactus has gone through to end up on the shelves!
And all that production… obviously can’t just feed their shop. They supply several nurseries across Quebec. You may already have one of their plants at home without even knowing it!
Nopal: when cactus becomes a vegetable
For their 50th anniversary in 2025, they organized a nopal tasting that introduced me to a completely unexpected aspect of these plants. Nopal is the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia) that is commonly associated with Mexican landscapes.
The taste is similar to watermelon without the sweetness, with a hint of lemon, and it’s crunchy like a bell pepper. It’s light, refreshing, and pairs perfectly with cheese or garden vegetables. Their nopal and pineapple smoothie was a nice surprise—it was sweet and went down easily! All that was missing was tequila and a little umbrella to make it a $20 cocktail in a fancy Mexican restaurant!
Preparation
Preparation is simpler than you might think. Remove the base of the “leaves” with a knife—these are called areoles, and they are quite tough.
Depending on the species, opuntia cacti can have spines, but the variety sold and consumed at Cacus Fleuri does not have any: phew! That’s it, no need to peel them! They can be cooked like vegetables: sautéed, grilled, raw in thin strips in a salad, etc.!
Nutritionally, nopal is a little gold mine: rich in vitamin C, fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants. It is known to help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
In Quebec, we mainly eat the paddles because we don’t have enough natural light to produce the fruit (the famous cactus pears). But you don’t need the fruit: the pads are remarkably versatile! They make excellent Mexican salsas, go well in fresh salads with summer vegetables, and I’ve even tried grilling them on the barbecue! Their crunchy texture and subtle taste make them an excellent addition to smoothies or as an original garnish for various dishes.
Growing them at home is easy: in pots indoors during the winter, then outside in the summer. For the more adventurous, there are varieties of Opuntia such as Opuntia humifusa that can survive outdoors in temperatures as low as -35°C (-31°F). Imagine a permanent cactus garden in Canada!
Aloe and other edible treasures
Nopal is just the beginning of the adventure. At Cactus Fleuri, they also grow edible aloe—not all species of aloe are edible, but aloe vera can be added to smoothies for its soothing properties. The gel has a neutral taste and goes well with fruit.
There’s also purslane (Portulaca oleracea), a succulent plant with fleshy leaves that has a slightly peppery taste. Excellent in salads, it’s packed with omega-3 and easy to grow. Stonecrops (Sedum) are also edible with their slightly tart taste.
This family has turned a climate challenge into an opportunity. Growing these plants locally, which are usually imported from far away, is great for the environment, shows that Quebec’s horticultural innovation can surprise us, and even diversifies our diet!
My spontaneous visit to Cactus Fleuri reminded me why I love discovering the hidden wonders of our province. This family business proves that we can grow exotic plants at home, that we can eat our cacti as well as admire them, and above all, that we can be independent thanks to all the technology at our disposal.
Will you try discovering edible cacti? I bought my plant!
It’s amazing how a simple Facebook post can lead to unexpected discoveries. Your story reminds me of the thrill of tackling a new level in Run 3 – that feeling of jumping in headfirst without knowing exactly what’s around the next bend. Hopefully, your cactus culinary experience wasn’t too much of a “run” for the exits!
Vietnamese Translation:
That sounds like an amazing spontaneous adventure! It’s so cool when you stumble upon something unexpectedly awesome like that. Reading this makes me want to ditch my plans and just go explore! Sometimes the best experiences are the unplanned ones. Speaking of spur-of-the-moment decisions, anyone ever get the urge to just fire up a game of Drift Hunters and lose themselves in the virtual world for a few hours? It’s the digital equivalent of driving to Sainte-Madeleine, haha!
I’ll pass on that. But good to know that cactus is edible like Aloe Vera.
Opuntia are easy to grow in rock gardens. There are three native to Alberta Zone 3-4. I have all of them and are gorgeous when in bloom. Have never thought of eating them but as they outgrow their small space might just try a paddle or two.