Opuntia engelmannii

Common Names

Engelmann's Prickly Pear, Desert Prickly Pear, Discus Prickly Pear, Cactus Apple, Cow Tongue Prickly Pear, Small Round-Leaved Prickly Pear

Summary

Engelmann prickly pear is a shrub-like cactus native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It forms dense clumps with flat green pads that bear spines and glochids, and it produces yellow flowers followed by purple or red edible fruits, reflecting a drought-tolerant desert plant with distinctive water-storing pads.

It requires full sun and well-drained soils, tolerates drought, and should be watered sparingly with drying between waterings; suitable for ornamental use in xeriscapes, beds, borders, hedges, screens, and container plantings. Propagation is by pad cuttings or seeds, with calloused ends recommended before planting, and hardiness covers USDA zones 8–11. Wildlife value includes attraction of birds and hummingbirds, and edible fruits can benefit humans and animals; caution is advised due to spines and glochids, and common pests include cochineal scale and prickly pear moth.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3-10 feet

Spread

6-10 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 8-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun, tolerates partial sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil, sandy or loamy; avoid clay-rich, poorly draining soil.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Yellow to orange, occasionally reddish, pink, or red.

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green (year-round; rarely blue-green)

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous, Evergreen

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings (pads/cladodes; pad cuttings; fallen pads; woody stem cuttings; stem cuttings), Division (stem division; root segments), Tissue culture

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, other pollinators and birds