twistspine pricklypear
Opuntia macrorhiza
USDA zones3 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to moderate soil
Size6 to 12 inches tall6 to 12 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Cactus/succulent
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Soil types
- Sand, loam
- Soil pH
- Acidic (pH<6.8)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Twistspine pricklypear (Opuntia macrorhiza) is a succulent for rock gardens, accents, and ground cover. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to average, sandy or loamy soil. Deer and rabbits rarely make it their first choice. Light yellow flowers open at the upper edges of older pads and ripen into reddish-purple fruit in late summer. It grows slowly into clumps that can reach 3 feet across.
Pairs well with Blonde Ambition blue grama, Limeglow creeping juniper, and Matrona october daphne.
Native range
Northern Mexico and central and southern United States.