Mohave Prickly Pear Cactus

Mohave Prickly Pear Cactus

Natural History

The Mohave Prickly Pear Cactus is a member of the Opuntia genus. The plant grows to 1 foot

in height and 3 feet wide and has wide, flat, oblong pads to 5 inches in length covered with white spines to 3.5 inches long that give the plant its name. The cactus grows in deserts, desert grasslands, and juniper woodlands, in alluvial, sandy or gravelly soils at elevations between 3000 - 7000 feet.

The Mohave Prickly Pear Cactus is also known as a Porcupine Prickly Pear

The Mohave Prickly Pear Cactus blooms in late spring and produces a bright magenta or yellow flower to 3 inches in width followed by an elliptical fruit to 1.25 inches in length.

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