Prickly Pear Green

Opuntia ficus-indica

Light

Water

Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently during hot, dry weather, allowing soil to dry completely between waterings. Reduce sharply in winter; avoid frequent irrigation.

Size

10-15 ft tall × 10-15 ft wide

Habit

Prickly-pear/pad cactus

Toxicity

Non-toxic

Description

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.

Bloom Time

Spring to early summer

Deciduous / Evergreen

Evergreen

Special Features

Attracts Bees / Pollinators, Attracts Birds, Drought Tolerant, Edible, Thorny / Spiny

Growth Rate

Moderate to fast

Growth Habit

Prickly-pear/pad cactus

Mature Size

10-15 ft tall × 10-15 ft wide

Flower Color

Yellow

Foliage Color

Green

Landscape Use

Border / Bed, Cactus / Succulent Garden, Desert / Xeriscape, Edible / Orchard, Specimen / Accent

Garden Style

Desert / Xeriscape, Edible Garden, Hedge / Formal, Pollinator / Wildlife

Soil

Alkaline Tolerant, Sandy / Rocky, Well-Drained

Companion Plants

Desert marigold, Desert spoon, Golden barrel cactus, Red yucca, Santa Rita prickly pear

Toxicity

Non-toxic

Non-toxic (fruit and pads edible); glochids cause mechanical irritation.

Care Instructions

Light: Full sun; tolerates light afternoon shade in Phoenix. Acclimate nursery-grown plants gradually to intense desert sun.

Water: Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently during hot, dry weather, allowing soil to dry completely between waterings. Reduce sharply in winter; avoid frequent irrigation.

Soil: Very well-drained sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil. Tolerates alkaline soil; plant on a mound where drainage is poor.

Mature size: Typically 10–15 feet tall and 6–10 feet wide; older plants may grow larger in favorable conditions.

Bloom: Showy flowers in spring to early summer, followed by fruit ripening in summer to fall.

Evergreen / deciduous: Evergreen.

Growth rate: Moderate to fast with warmth and occasional deep watering; slower under very dry conditions.