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Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii (Cactus apple)
Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii Salm-Dyck

Cactus apple, Prickly pear

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

USDA Symbol: OPENE

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This is perhaps the most abundant prickly pear in West Texas, and one of the most attractive. The masses of yellow to orange flowers it produces will bring one to a stop, no matter how often they are encountered. The plant itself is sometimes 8 feet across and almost as tall. The fruits, called tuna, are up to 2 1/2 inches long with a deep maroon color that makes the plant attractive after the flowers are gone (248).

The species and variety of this plant are named for George Engelmann (1809-1884) who was born in Germany and settled in St. Louis, Missouri, as a young man. He was a physician and botanist, describing especially North American Abies (Firs), Agaves, Cactus (for which he described more than 108 species), Cuscuta (Dodder), Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family), Juncus (Rushes), Juniperus (“Cedar”), Pinus (Pines), Vitis (Grapes), and Yuccas. When he died much of his collection went to Missouri Botanical Garden.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 6-12 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NM , NV , TX , UT
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam Clay

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Bibliography

Bibref 765 - McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2008-08-27
Research By: TWC Staff

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