Cactus

Prickly Pear

Opuntia spp.

Height: 1–6 feet
Bloom Season: Spring–early summer
Lifespan: 25–40+ years

About this plant

Prickly pears are low-growing cacti with flat, paddle-shaped pads. They are common throughout the Sonoran Desert and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Many species produce edible fruits known as tunas and tender young pads called nopales.

More info

Photo gallery

Budding prickly pear pads

New pads and flower buds emerging along the edges of a prickly pear pad. Young growth is often softer in color before the spines fully harden.

Mature prickly pear clump

A mature prickly pear forming a dense clump of pads. Older plants can spread into wide patches that provide shade and habitat for small animals.

Wild desert patch

Prickly pear growing among native desert shrubs in undisturbed habitat. These colonies help stabilize soil and offer food for desert wildlife.

Prickly pear fruits (tunas)

Ripe tunas developing along the top edges of the pads. The fruits range from green to deep magenta and are an important seasonal food for birds, mammals, and people.

New sprouts

Small sprouts and juvenile pads emerging near the base of older plants. Many new prickly pears sprout from fallen pads that have taken root.

Lakeside prickly pear

Prickly pear growing along a shoreline, showing how this desert cactus can thrive in rocky, well-drained soils near water features.

Prickly pear at dawn

Pads catching the warm light of early morning. Cooler dawn and dusk hours are when many desert animals visit prickly pear patches.

Prickly pear and tree trunk

Prickly pear growing alongside a tree trunk, using the shade and structure of the tree to help protect its pads from the harshest sun and wind.

Quick ID Checklist

Flat, paddle-shaped segments ("pads") with small areoles
Spines vary by species; many also have tiny hair-like glochids
Bright flowers followed by red/purple fruit ("tunas") in season
Often forms spreading clumps

Seasonal Notes

Flowers typically appear in spring to early summer depending on rainfall and elevation. Fruit often develops in summer and can persist into fall.

Uses

Pads and fruit have a long history of traditional food use in the region. This site is not a foraging guide; preparation varies by species and requires careful handling due to glochids.

Ethics + Disclaimers

Glochids can embed in skin easily; avoid touching wild plants. Do not harvest in protected areas and never remove whole plants. Educational reference only; not medical or foraging advice.

Wildlife Value

Flowers support pollinators. Fruit and pads are food and shelter for desert wildlife, including birds and small mammals.

Interesting Facts

Glochids are tiny barbed bristles that detach easily and are harder to remove than large spines.
Some prickly pears can root from fallen pads, helping the plant spread after damage.
Prickly pear is native to the Americas but now grows on every continent except Antarctica.