Prickly Pear 

Scientific Name: 

Opuntia basilaris

Physical Appearance: 

• The offshoots that come out of the central stalk are referred to as pads

• A singular cactus can have several of these pads

• The entire plant can range from a blue-gray to bright green 

• The “spikes” as we commonly call them are actually called glochids or spines

• Each pad is covered in glochids in a relatively symmetrical pattern 

• Bright pink, purple, red colored flowers 

When Does It Grow: 

• During the summer the pads tend to shrivel in 

• During the winter they can become plump again from the excessive rains 

• Flowers in the spring

Preferred Environment: 

• High and low desert 

• Sandy valleys 

• Rocky slopes and canyons 

Medicinal Uses: 

• Has been used to control blood sugar levels in diabetics

Role in the Ecosystem: 

• Insects and small mammals love the flowers

• Known to be large attracters of native bees which is crucial for bee conservation 

Random: 

• Prickly pear is an awesome food (I am very bias to this)

  • After removing the spines, the cactus can be boiled and eaten 

  • Quick culture lesson: in Spanish the prickly pear is a nopal so when referring to its boiled pads as a food it is called nopalitos (or at least this is what my grandmother has been saying to me for a decade)

• The nopal (of prickly pear) is an iconic symbol as it appears on the flag of Mexico