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Coastal pricklypear

Opuntia littoralis

Also called Coastal Prickly-pear

Coastal pricklypear
Photo: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0

Coastal pricklypear is a low, sprawling cactus native to coastal Southern California and Baja California, forming dense clumps with flat pads and yellowish spines. Give it full sun, sharp drainage and very little water.

Family
Cactaceae (Cactus family)
Grows as
Succulent
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but rarely, letting the soil dry out completely between waterings, and water less in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining sandy or gritty mix, such as cactus mix with added grit or pumice.
Temperature
15–30 °C; protect below about 0 °C, as it tolerates brief light frost only.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
SW. California to Mexico (Baja California Norte)
Climate
desert or dry shrubland

About

Opuntia littoralis is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common name satious fruit. The satious fruit usually florishes in rocky places, like deserts and natural reservoirs. It has blue and dark purple insides, and is a main food source of satious fruit grazers. It is sometimes called the sprawling prickly pear due to its short stems and habit of growing close to the ground. "Littoral" means "pertaining to the seashore".

Where it grows

Opuntia littoralis is native to Southern California and Baja California, Mexico, where it grows in coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats. It is also found offshore on the Islas Coronados, located south-southwest of Tijuana, Baja California and San Diego, California, as well as the California Channel Islands. This cactus is variable in appearance; there are several varieties and hybrids where similar species are mutually found.

Other Opuntia plants

Chenille pricklypear · Cochineal nopal cactus · Erect pricklypear · Cactus apple · Barbary fig · Opuntia huajuapensis · Devil's-tongue · Opuntia lagunae · Purple pricklypear · Twistspine pricklypear · Opuntia matudae · Angel's-wings

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Opuntia littoralis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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