Share

Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    

Opuntia basilaris (Beavertail pricklypear)
Gammill, Lynn Crosby

Opuntia basilaris Engelm. & Bigelow

Beavertail pricklypear, Beavertail cactus

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

USDA Symbol: opba2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Flat, grayish-green, leafless, jointed stems in a clump, lack large spines and have vivid rose or reddish-lavender flowers on upper edge of joint. Beaver-tail cactus is a low-growing prickly pear, 6-12 in. high, with brilliant, majenta flowers. The pads of this cactus lack the long, straight spines of other prickly pears but are covered with miniscule, gray-blue bristles with barbed tips.

The gray-green stems, low growth, and brilliant flowers, which often nearly cover the plant, make this a popular ornamental in hot, dry climates. It need not be dug up; a joint broken from a plant will quickly root in dry sand. Opuntia with flat joints are called Pricklypear; in the Southwest, if the fruits are juicy and edible, they area called tuna by people of Spanish-American heritage.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Size Notes: Up to 3ft high, almost oval joints 4-8in long.
Flower: Flowers 2 1/2 to 3 1/4 inches long and across
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Diurnal

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NV , UT
Native Distribution: S.w. UT to s. CA, s. to n. Mex.
Native Habitat: Rocky or sandy plains, valleys, washes & canyons in deserts
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Sandy or gravelly soils.
Conditions Comments: Minimum temperature 45F

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

Description: Sow seed.
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: No treatment is necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes

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 1140 - Cacti (1991) Clive Innes and Charles Glass
Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-20
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back