Dave's Garden - Gardening Community
Sponsored Links: Gardeners Supply - Mail Order Plants - Landscape Design - Plant Nurseries Mail Order - Flowering Bulbs - Winter Landscaping

PlantFiles: Mojave Prickly Pear, Tulip Prickly Pear, New Mexico Prickly Pear
Opuntia phaeacantha

 
  Welcome!  
You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!

Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.

  Login  
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.

Username:

Password:

Family: Cactaceae (kak-TAY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Opuntia (op-UN-shee-a) (Info)
Species: phaeacantha (fay-uh-KANTH-uh) (Info)

Synonym:Opuntia phaeacantha var. phaeacantha
Synonym:Opuntia arizonica
Synonym:Opuntia canada
Synonym:Opuntia engelmannii var. cycloides
Synonym:Opuntia phaeacantha var. brunnea

3 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Edible Fruits and Nuts
Cactus and Succulents

Height:
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)

Spacing:
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun

Danger:
Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling

Bloom Color:
Orange
Bright Yellow

Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Late Spring/Early Summer

Foliage:
Succulent

Other details:
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)

Patent Information:
Non-patented

Propagation Methods:
From woody stem cuttings
Allow cut surface to callous over before planting

Seed Collecting:
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored

Click thumbnail
to view:

By palmbob
Thumbnail #1 of Opuntia phaeacantha by palmbob

By Todd_Boland
Thumbnail #2 of Opuntia phaeacantha by Todd_Boland

By kennedyh
Thumbnail #3 of Opuntia phaeacantha by kennedyh

By kennedyh
Thumbnail #4 of Opuntia phaeacantha by kennedyh

By Xenomorf
Thumbnail #5 of Opuntia phaeacantha by Xenomorf

By Xenomorf
Thumbnail #6 of Opuntia phaeacantha by Xenomorf

By mgarr
Thumbnail #7 of Opuntia phaeacantha by mgarr

There are a total of 10 photos.
Click here to view them all!

Profile:

2 positives
No neutrals
1 negative

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Positive shindagger On Jun 8, 2009, shindagger from Oklahoma City, OK wrote:

I love this cactus. A friend dug it up for me from his son's yard in Albuquerque as it was being run over with the lawnmower and he hated it and thought of it as a pest. It has creamy light yellow flowers and gets pretty pink pears. I think of it as a rescue cactus. It's got great spines.

Positive Xenomorf On Oct 5, 2004, Xenomorf from Valley of the Sun, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote:

The flowers are fairly attractive, and the fruit (tuna) are one of the popular species for making jams & jellies.
There are about 10 semi-accepted varieties in the U.S. & about 7 in Mexico, much research needs to be done to determine which ones will become official. I have not a guide to any of the varieties, if any one has one, let me know.
One of the common names for the varieties is "Yellow-spined prickly pear" which could possibly be the ones I have posted picts of.

Negative palmbob On Mar 9, 2004, palmbob from Tarzana, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:

This is a child hood nightmare cactus... all over the southwest (very cold hardy- often lives in climates where it snows 1/3 of the year). Can't recall the number of times I've had to pull spines out from this plant. Not that attractive, either.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Concho, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Grand Junction, Colorado (2 reports)
Pueblo, Colorado
Pensacola, Florida
Cleveland, Ohio
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania



We recommend Firefox
Overwhelmed? There's a lot to see here. Try starting at our homepage.

[ Home | About | Advertise | Mission | Acceptable Use Policy | Tour | Privacy Policy | Contact Us ]

Back to the top

Copyright © 2000-2009 Dave's Garden. All Rights Reserved.
 

NameMedia Home and Gardens
Share on FacebookShare on Stumbleupon

Hope for America