Native Plant Database

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Size Notes: Bushy plant up to nearly 3ft tall, with oblong or nearly rounded joints 4-8in long and about 6in wide.
Flower: Flowers 2 inches long
Fruit:
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: Diurnal blooms

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX
Native Distribution: Also northern Mexico
Native Habitat: Natural range is from Trans-Pecos Texas to Arizona. Well-drained caliche, loam, sand, clay.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Heat Tolerant: yes
Conditions Comments: Purple prickly pear is similar in form and provides the same rugged accent as the more common prickly pear (Opuntia lindheimeri) known in Central Texas. Its violet-lavender pads separate it from the other prickly pears. Purple prickly pear, like most prickly pear species, will grow easily; you only have to protect it from freeze, as severe cold can kill them. Minimum temperature 45F.

Benefit

Warning: Care should be taken in handling this plant, since the minute, tufted, barbed bristles (glochids) at the base of the spines can be more troublesome than the spines typical of most cacti; they are lined with backward-pointing hooks, making them nearly impossible to remove from the skin.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

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

Propagation

Commercially Avail: yes

Bibliography

Bibref 1140 - Cacti (1991) Clive Innes and Charles Glass

Search More Titles in Bibliography

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