Engelmann prickly pear
Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm.
Also called nopal.
Sprawling native prickly pear with large pads, yellow spring flowers and purple fruit (tunas) eaten by wildlife and people.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) tall and 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft) wide; medium growth, about 8 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the #5 install size.
Bloom
Yellow flowers, Apr–May (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engelmann prickly pear : Apr–May |
Design notes
- Fine barbed glochids lodge in skin — handle with tongs and thick gloves.
- Easily started from pad cuttings.
Regions
Native range: Deserts of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Engelmann prickly pear
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.