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Queen Creek, AZ 85142

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Engelmann prickly pear with round blue-green spiny pads and yellow flowers beside desert boulders

Prickly Pear Engelmann’s

Opuntia engelmannii
Categories:
Cacti & Succulents  ·  
Prickly Pear
Light
Full sun
Water
Very low water once established. During prolonged hot, dry periods, water deeply every 3–4 weeks if needed, allowing soil to dry completely. Usually needs no supplemental winter water.
Size
4-6 ft tall × 6-8 ft wide
Habit
Prickly-pear/pad cactus
Toxicity
Non-toxic (spines)
Description
A Sonoran Desert native cactus with broad, flattened green pads, prominent spines, and colorful edible fruits.
Bloom Time
Spring to early summer
Deciduous / Evergreen
Evergreen
Special Features
Attracts Bees / Pollinators, Attracts Birds, Drought Tolerant, Edible, Thorny / Spiny
Growth Rate
Slow to moderate
Growth Habit
Prickly-pear/pad cactus
Mature Size
4-6 ft tall × 6-8 ft wide
Flower Color
Yellow
Foliage Color
Blue-green
Landscape Use
Border / Bed, Cactus / Succulent Garden, Desert / Xeriscape, Pollinator / Wildlife Garden
Garden Style
Arizona Native, Desert / Xeriscape, Hedge / Formal, Pollinator / Wildlife
Soil
Alkaline Tolerant, Sandy / Rocky, Well-Drained
Companion Plants
Brittlebush, Chuparosa, Desert marigold, Desert spoon, Fairy duster
Non-toxic (spines)
Non-toxic (fruit and pads edible); spines and glochids cause mechanical injury.
Care Instructions

Light: Full sun; tolerates light afternoon shade in Phoenix.

Water: Very low water once established. During prolonged hot, dry periods, water deeply every 3–4 weeks if needed, allowing soil to dry completely. Usually needs no supplemental winter water.

Soil: Well-drained sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil; tolerates alkaline desert soils. Avoid poorly drained clay unless planted on a raised mound.

Mature size: 4–6 feet tall and 6–10 feet wide; older clumps may spread farther.

Bloom: Spring to early summer, typically April–June in Phoenix.

Evergreen / deciduous: Evergreen; photosynthetic pads persist year-round.

Growth rate: Moderate; slower with minimal water.