Native Plant Database

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Opuntia rufida (Blind prickly pear)
Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Opuntia rufida Engelm.

Blind prickly pear, Blind pricklypear

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Synonyms: Opuntia microdasys var. rufida

USDA Symbol: OPRU3

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Blind prickly pear has an obvious trunk, with many branches, and grows to 5 feet tall. Its joints are circular, dull gray-green, and the pads are covered with many short brown spines. The flowers are about 3 inches across, yellow to bright red-orange, with the full range of colors visible on the same plant at the same time. The fruit is about 1 inch long (248).

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , Jun , Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: Diurnal

Distribution

USA: TX
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Heat Tolerant: yes
Conditions Comments: minimum temperature 50F
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Bibliography

Cacti (1991) Clive Innes and Charles Glass
Cactuses of Big Bend National Park (1998) Evans, Douglas B.
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 rufida in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Opuntia rufida in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Opuntia rufida

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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