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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.

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Opuntia macrocentra var. macrocentra (Purple pricklypear)
Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Opuntia macrocentra var. macrocentra

Opuntia macrocentra Engelm. var. macrocentra

Purple Pricklypear, Purple Prickly Pear

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Synonym(s): Opuntia violacea, Opuntia violacea var. castetteri, Opuntia violacea var. macrocentra

USDA Symbol: opmam

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

The stems of the purple prickly pear are upright, 2-3 feet tall, but without the trunk-like main stem. The pads are 4-8 inches long, usually about l/2 inch thick. Sometimes they are green, but more often they are purplish overall, especially in the winter and in dry, hot summers. The areoles are about 1/2 inch apart on small plants, but up to 1 1/4 inches apart on large ones. The flowers are about 3 inches in diameter, light yellowish with red centers. The anthers are yellow. The fruit is 3/4-1 1/2 inches long, round to oval, becoming bright red or orange when ripe. These cacti present a spectacular sight in April, their peak blooming period, with as many as 65-70 large blossoms on one plant (248).

 

From the Image Gallery

6 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Heat Tolerant: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

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

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-01-26
Research By: TWC Staff

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