Plains Pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha Haw. - Cactus family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 24 inches

Planting Distance: 12.0 feet

Plant Type: Shrub

Root Depth: 12 inches

Growth Form: Stoloniferous

Growth Rate: Rapid

Features

Flower Color: Yellow

Conspicuous Flowers: Yes

Bloom Time: Late Spring

Seasonal Growth: Spring, Summer, Fall

Evergreen: Yes

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes

Sandy Soil Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: High

Flood Tolerance: None

Fire Tolerance: None

Salt Tolerance: None

Ecosystem Interactions

Pollinators: Native Bees; Beetles, Wasps, Flies; Butterflies; Larval Host (Moth)

Larval Species depending on Plains Pricklypear: Melitara dentata, Olycella subumbrella

Native Range

CAN: Alberta, Saskatchewan
USA: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
MEX: Mexico Northeast

Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.