Prickly Pear

Opuntia engelmannii

Cactus Apple

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map (hover for ecoregion names)

Native Habitat: Grassland

East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies

Maintenance

Little maintenance required. Late winter: Prune pads away from sidewalks and patios. The spread of this plant can be limited by removing fallen pads. Fallen pads are easily transplanted by sticking the base in contact with soil.

Comments

Can reach 6′ tall. Well drained soil. May become shrub-like; both pads and fruits are edible. Red to purple fruit called “Tuna”. Spineless varieties exist. Important plant for native bees. Most cacti of the genus Opuntia have sharp spines as well as tiny barbed bristles called glochids that can be difficult to remove from the skin. The bristles of the Beavertail can irritate the skin but this species does not pose the danger of species with long, rigid spines.

Growth Form

Cactus & Succulent

Height

1 to

2 ft

Spread

2 to

4 ft

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Caliche

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Bloom Color

Red, Orange, Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fruit

Wildlife Benefit

Bees

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References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OPENL. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Opuntia+engelmannii+var.+lindheimeri&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=6757&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=195321#null

Native Plant Society of Texas