erect pricklypear
Opuntia dillenii · Cactaceae
erect pricklypear (Opuntia dillenii) is a perennial shrub in the Cactaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 10 and warmer, down to about 30°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 6 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–8.4 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 10 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 8.4 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 10.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 6 ft, making it a plant that will finish above head height.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 29 to 45 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 24 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and cuttings. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Opuntia
- Barbary fig Opuntia ficus-indica
- plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha
Similar role and hardiness
- pigeonpea Cajanus cajan
- beach naupaka Scaevola sericea
- varigated chastetree Vitex trifolia
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol OPDI3, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Toxicity, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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