Opuntia macrorhiza
A mat-forming cactus with spreading chains of jointed bluish-green segments that root where they touch soil, bearing pale yellow flowers often with a red center and few spines mainly on upper areoles, and lacking a tuberous central taproot.
Common Names
Twist-Spine Prickly Pear, Plains Prickly Pear, Bigroot Prickly Pear, Common Prickly Pear, Prickly Pear, Grassland Pricklypear, Western Pricklypear
Summary
Native to the central United States and northern Mexico, this low-growing, clump-forming cactus forms spreading mats of flattened bluish-green pads. It has large tuberous roots, pads 2–6 in long and 2–4 in wide, spines 0–4 per areole with dense glochids, and yellow flowers with red centers that appear in May–June, followed by edible fruits; the plant spreads vegetatively by pad fragmentation to form dense colonies and mats up to 3–5 ft wide.
Growing conditions include full sun and well-drained sandy, rocky soils; drought-tolerant with sparing watering; propagation by stem cuttings or seeds; pads may root to form colonies; hardy in USDA zones 3a–9b; used as ground cover and in xeriscapes, with edible pads and fruits; be aware that spines and glochids can irritate skin.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6-14 inches
Spread
3-5 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3a-9b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Well-drained sandy to loamy soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
6–7.5
Bloom Color
Yellow to golden yellow, sometimes pale yellow with red or orange centers.
Bloom Time
Spring and Summer
Foliage Color
bluish-green
Fall Foliage Color
Bluish-green
Growth Rate
Very slow
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings (leaf pads and stem cuttings), Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds are attracted.
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Engelm.
- Publication
- in Boston J. Nat. Hist. 6(2): 206. 1850.
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Caryophyllales
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Opuntia
Synonyms
Opuntia fusiformis Opuntia xanthoglochia Opuntia tuberculata Opuntia sphaerocarpa Opuntia seguina Opuntia mesacantha var. oplocarpa Opuntia rafinesquei f. oplocarpa Opuntia macrorhiza subsp. macrorhiza Opuntia grandiflora Opuntia fuscoatra Opuntia stenochila Opuntia macrorhiza var. macrorhiza Opuntia mesacantha var. macrorhiza Opuntia mesacantha var. stenochila Opuntia compressa var. macrorhiza Opuntia compressa var. stenochila Opuntia compressa var. fuscoatra Opuntia loomisii Opuntia macrorhiza var. grandiflora Opuntia macrorhiza var. greenii Opuntia mesacantha var. grandiflora Opuntia mesacantha var. greenii Opuntia rafinesquei var. fusiformis Opuntia rafinesquei var. grandiflora Opuntia leptocarpa Opuntia roseana Cactus tuberculatus Opuntia greenei