Opuntia lindheimeri var. linguiformis    
Cow's tongue prickly pear   
Cactaceae Family     

Form: large, mounding, segmented cactus
Seasonality: evergreen
Size: 4-6ft with spread greater than height, spread commonly greater than 6ft
Leaves: distinctive large pads, rounded at base tapering to rounded point, to 2ft in length; spine presence varies
Flowers: yellow, at margin of pads, bloom in spring
Fruit: oval, plum-colored fruit
Stems/Trunks: not stem forming
Range/Origin: Texas, widely used throughout Southwest US
Hardiness: to 0°F

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• barrier
• soil stabilizer
• keep away from pedestrian traffic

Opuntia lindheimeri

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun, reflected head; leggy and floppy in shade
• Water: none, natural rainfall
• Soil: adaptable, good drainage
• Propagation: vegetatively (pads)
• Maintenance: minimal; trash cleanup around base

bloom on Opuntia linderheimeri

NOTES:

pads root and extend clump spread
common name of Opuntia lindheimeri (not this variety) is Texas Prickly Pear

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This page was first created July 6, 2001 and last modified March 16, 2006.

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Web page design and photographs by Toni Moore, Master Gardener
email to: tmoore1@flash.net

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