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Opuntioid cacti have caused some of the most damaging plant invasions globally. While many of these invaders were introduced for ornamental and some agriculture use, there are an increasing number of records of invasive ornamental species. Here we report the first detailed invasion by Opuntia pubescens and investigate the potential for eradicating the species from South Africa. We found the species only at one location (Pretoria National Botanical Gardens) where the population was approximately 5023 plants over the undeveloped area of 3.66 ha. The plant was not found during surveys of neighbouring natural areas. We believe it was introduced to staff gardens as an ornamental plant, but we have not found it on sale in nurseries nor mentioned in historical literature. However, as the species was initially confused with O. aurantiaca, surveys were conducted in the neighbouring hills and Gauteng province for all known O. aurantiaca infested farms. Initial efforts on surveying the Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces with the assistance of Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Land Use and Soil Management Resource Auditors have been initiated, but more work still needs to be done. Therefore, while preliminary control efforts in the garden looking promising; it is not clear whether nation-wide eradication is feasible. The Australian Weed Risk Assessment was used to collate information and determine the invasive potential of O. pubescens in South Africa. This method has been used worldwide and within the programme to determine risk potential of invasive species in the country. To determine the potential distribution of O. pubescens we developed a species distribution model using MaxEnt 3.3.3e based on native and non-native range. This study highlights the need to discourage the use of Opuntioid cacti as ornamental species due to their invasiveness, even if they are not yet known to be invasive.

First record of Opuntia pubescens H.L.Wendland ex Pfeiffer, 1835 naturalised in South Africa