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Opuntia macrorhiza
Also called Grassland Pricklypear, Plains Twistspine Pricklypear, Western Prickly Pear, Bigroot Pricky Pear, Prairie Pricklypear
Opuntia macrorhiza is a low, spreading prickly pear cactus native to the North American grasslands, forming wide clumps with bright yellow flowers. The key to growing it is full sun and very sharp drainage in sandy or gravelly soil.
Opuntia macrorhiza, also known as the prairie pricklypear, western pricklypear, twistpine pricklypear, or plains pricklypear (a name more commonly given to Opuntia polyacantha), is a common, widespread species of cactus native to North America.
The species prefers well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils, mostly in grassland areas. It grows at elevations of 600–2,400 m (2,000–7,900 ft). It is found throughout the Great Plains of the United States, from Texas to Minnesota, and west into the Rocky Mountain states to New Mexico, Utah, and perhaps Idaho, with sporadic populations in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. It is also reported from northern Mexico in the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Durango, Tamaulipas, and San Luís Potosí., though all Arizona and Mexican records should be considered with caution due to confusion with other similar species. The species is cultivated as an ornamental in other locations.
Chenille pricklypear · Cochineal nopal cactus · Erect pricklypear · Cactus apple · Barbary fig · Opuntia huajuapensis · Devil's-tongue · Opuntia lagunae · Coastal pricklypear · Purple pricklypear · Opuntia matudae · Angel's-wings
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Opuntia macrorhiza 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.
