Prickly Pear Cinnamon Bunny Ear
A compact prickly pear cactus with oval, bright green pads dotted with cinnamon-brown tufts of tiny, barbed bristles called glochids, creating a bunny-ear appearance. Special Features Distinctive cinnamon-colored glochids; heat and drought tolerant once established; sculptural pads provide year-round interest. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and pad rot; improve drainage and let soil dry […]
Prickly Pear Baby Rita
A compact beavertail-type prickly pear with rounded, flattened blue-gray pads that develop attractive purple tones, especially during cool weather or drought. Special Features Compact size; colorful purple-blushed pads; excellent heat and drought tolerance; flowers attract native bees. Problems & Solutions Overwatering or poor drainage can cause rot; let soil dry thoroughly. Cochineal scale may appear […]
Prickly Pear Black Spine
A compact prickly pear cactus with blue-green pads that develop purple tones and striking, long, dark spines concentrated near the upper pad edges. Special Features Distinctive blackish spines and seasonal purple coloration; heat and drought tolerant; flowers attract native bees. Problems & Solutions Overwatering or poor drainage can cause root and pad rot; let soil […]
Prickly Pear Blind
A shrubby prickly pear with rounded, blue-gray pads dotted with cinnamon-brown glochids—tiny, barbed bristles. Despite lacking long spines, it is not safe to touch. Special Features Distinctive rounded pads and rusty-brown glochid clusters; highly heat and drought tolerant; flowers attract pollinators. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and pad rot; provide excellent drainage and allow […]
Prickly Pear Old Mexico Gomei
A mostly spineless Mexican prickly pear with broad, flattened green pads and distinctive wavy or scalloped edges; often sold as Opuntia gomei ‘Old Mexico’. Special Features Sculptural, wavy-edged pads; few prominent spines; excellent heat and drought tolerance. Tiny irritating glochids may still be present. Problems & Solutions Overwatering and poor drainage cause rot; allow soil […]
Prickly Pear Purple
A Southwestern prickly pear with flattened blue-green pads that develop purple tones, especially during cool weather or drought, and long, dark spines near the upper pad edges. Special Features Seasonal purple coloration; exceptional drought tolerance; heat tolerant and cold hardy in Zone 9b; flowers attract native bees. Problems & Solutions Overwatering or poor drainage can […]
Prickly Pear Santa Rita
A shrubby prickly pear cactus with rounded, blue-gray pads that develop striking purple and pink tones, especially during cool weather or drought. Commonly sold as Santa Rita prickly pear. Special Features Distinctive purple coloration; highly heat and drought tolerant; flowers attract native bees, and fruits provide wildlife food. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and […]
Prickly Pear Engelmann’s
A Sonoran Desert native cactus with broad, flattened green pads, prominent spines, and colorful edible fruits. Special Features Excellent heat and drought tolerance; attracts native bees; fruits feed birds and mammals. Pads and fruits are edible after careful removal of spines and glochids. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and pad rot; improve drainage and […]
Prickly Pear Green
A large, tree-like prickly pear cactus with broad, flattened green pads and edible fruit. Often nearly spineless, but pads and fruit still bear irritating hairlike glochids. Special Features Heat and drought tolerant; edible young pads and ripe fruit after proper removal of spines and glochids; flowers attract pollinators and fruit attracts wildlife. Problems & Solutions […]
Prickly Pear Lemon Bunny Ears
A compact, shrubby cactus with oval green pads dotted with lemon-yellow clusters of tiny barbed bristles called glochids, creating a bunny-ear appearance. Special Features Distinctive yellow-dotted pads; drought tolerant and well suited to desert gardens. Lacks long spines but has irritating, easily detached glochids. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and pad rot; improve drainage […]