Common Name(s): Engelmann Prickly Pear

Synonym(s):

Family: Cactaceae

Native To: California to Nebraska, through Northwest México

Native Habitat: Most common in semidesert grasslands and oak woodlands

Growth Habit: Semi-erect jointed succulent

Flowering: April, May

Natural History and Cultivation Notes: The Engelmann Prickly Pear is another cactus of the Opuntia genus and thus shares many similarities with relatives like the Indian Fig. It is pollinated by bees and other insects and provides perfect home for unsightly white cocoons of cochineal insects. These parasites are known for their production of rich red and purple dyes historically prized by Mayans, Aztecs, and Europeans and still used today.

Ethnobotany: The prickly pear’s pads are well known in the Southwest to contain sweet, red pulp that can be used to make a variety of jellies, candies, and juices. Natives have also used boiled pad as an adhesive for adobe plaster and a type of face cream. Certain properties of this cactus also make it useful for purifying drinking water. Those with more mischievous intentions have harvested the tiny spines, or glochids, to be used as an itching powder.

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