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The Beavertail Cactus Opuntia basilaris is a distinctive North American cactus found primarily in the Mojave Desert. Its notable feature is its blue-green, beavertail-shaped pads which are remarkably spineless compared to many other cacti. These pads support vibrant magenta flowers during spring. It...

Opuntia cochenillifera is a species of cactus native to Mexico and parts of Central America, characterized by its fleshy, flattened pads and typically spineless or nearly spineless surface. It holds historical and economic significance as the primary host plant for the cochineal insect, a scale bug...

The Prickly Pear, scientifically known as Opuntia ficus-indica, is a domesticated species of cactus native to Mexico that has been widely naturalized in arid and semi-arid regions across the globe. It is distinguished by its large, flat, pad-forming stems called cladodes, which are covered in cluste...

Opuntia robusta is a large species of prickly pear cactus belonging to the Cactaceae family, native to the central plateau of Mexico. It is distinguished by its nearly circular, blue-green pads, which can grow quite large and develop a thick, woody trunk over time. The cactus produces yellow flowers...

Opuntia gosseliniana, commonly known as the violet prickly pear, is a cactus species native to the Sonoran Desert region of Arizona and northwestern Mexico. The plant is characterized by its blue-green to violet-purple pads, which can develop more intense coloration under drought stress or temperatu...

Opuntia robusta, commonly known as the Wheel Cactus, is a large species of prickly pear cactus native to the semi-arid regions of central Mexico. It is characterized by its distinctive, flattened, blue-green pads that can grow up to 50 centimeters in diameter. The plant produces edible fruits and no...

Opuntia galapageia, commonly known as the Galápagos prickly pear, is a species of cactus endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It exhibits a tree-like growth habit, developing thick, woody trunks that distinguish it from many mainland prickly pear species. This cactus serves as a keystone foo...

Opuntia chlorotica, known as the Pancake Prickly Pear, is a distinctive, tree-like cactus species native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is recognized by its thick, nearly circular, pancake-flat blue-green pads that grow stacked upon on...

Opuntia engelmannii, commonly called Engelmann's prickly pear, is a pad-forming cactus native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It develops broad, flattened stem segments armed with clusters of spines and glochids, and it produces conspicuous yellow flowers followed by fleshy re...

Consolea moniliformis, commonly called prickly pole, is a columnar cactus native to the Caribbean, particularly Hispaniola. It develops a tall, woody trunk topped by flattened, segmented pads and typically grows in dry coastal forests and thorn scrub. The genus Consolea consists of tree-like cacti r...

Opuntia microdasys, commonly called the bunny ears cactus, is a shrubby prickly pear native to Mexico. It forms flattened, oval pads in paired or clustered arrangements and bears dense tufts of tiny barbed glochids, commonly yellow or white, instead of prominent long spines. Widely grown as an ornam...

Native to the Big Bend region of Texas and Coahuila, Mexico, this prickly pear is covered in dense reddish-brown glochids that can cause eye injury, giving rise to its common name.

The most cold-hardy cactus in the United States, native from Massachusetts to Florida, surviving temperatures to -30°F and producing yellow flowers atop sprawling green pads.

Opuntia streptacantha, commonly called cardona, is a Mexican cactus notable for its large size, red-purple fruits, and role in traditional nopalitos cultivation.

Tacinga inamoena is a low-growing cactus endemic to the caatinga dry scrubland of northeastern Brazil, producing pink flowers and small edible red fruits.

A widespread prickly pear across the western Great Plains from Canada to Mexico, tolerating extreme cold and noted for its variable flower colors ranging from yellow to magenta.

A prickly pear native to the southeastern United States and Caribbean that became one of the most damaging invasive weed cacti in Australia and South Africa.

Opuntia cochenillifera is a Mexican cactus historically cultivated as the primary host for the cochineal insect, which produces the valuable carmine red dye.

A near-spineless cactus native to Mexico, named for the cochineal insects it hosts, which were cultivated to produce prized red carmine dye since pre-Columbian times.

Opuntia dillenii is a prickly pear native to the Americas, now naturalized across Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean, where it is considered a significant invasive weed.

Native to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, Consolea moniliformis is a tree-like cactus notable for its segmented, necklace-like chains of flat cladodes.

Known as Texas prickly pear, Opuntia lindheimeri is a prominent cactus in the southern United States, recognized by its yellow and orange blooms and edible fruits.

Opuntia phaeacantha, or tulip prickly pear, is a southwestern US native cactus notable for its distinctive multi-colored spines and yellow or red spring blooms.

Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa, known as devil's tongue, is a low-growing eastern US cactus recognized by its yellow flowers and cold-hardy, juicy red fruits.

Opuntia macrorhiza, the plains prickly pear, is a widespread North American cactus noted for its large tuberous roots and adaptability to harsh grassland environments.