Santa Rita Prickly Pear
Opuntia santa-rita
A prickly pear prized for rounded pads that flush purple and blue in cold or drought, set off by yellow flowers and red fruit. A living sculpture for hot, dry gardens.
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 3–6 ft
- Spacing
- 4–6 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry
- Soil pH
- neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- March, April, May, June
- Bloom colors
- orange, yellow
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, songbirds
- Landscape uses
- hedge or screen, foundation, erosion control
- Native states
- AZ, NM, TX
Related native plants
More Opuntia species
- Beavertail Prickly Pear (Opuntia basilaris)
- Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii)
- Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa)
- Tulip Prickly Pear (Opuntia phaeacantha)
- Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrorhiza)
- Purple Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrocentra)