Cactus · Sonoran native
Beavertail Prickly Pear
Opuntia basilaris · Cactaceae
Also called: Beavertail Cactus, Beavertail Pricklypear
Beavertail Prickly Pear (Opuntia basilaris) is a very low-water cactus native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a slow growth rate.
Beavertail Prickly Pear at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates reflected heat. Best color and form in full sun.
- Mature size
- 12-18 in H x 24-36 in W (low, spreading clumps)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Vivid rose-pink to magenta (occasionally lighter pink), Spring, typically March to May
- Cold hardiness
- Very cold hardy; tolerates temperatures down to about 0-10F (USDA zone 8-11).
- Soil
- Sharply drained, sandy or gravelly soils; very intolerant of wet, poorly drained sites.
- Native range
- Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern U.S. (Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah) and northwestern Mexico; native to Arizona.
- Best used as
- Low groundcover-scale accent, Rock gardens and small xeriscape beds, Container plant, Foreground specimen in cactus gardens
- Wildlife
- Showy flowers attract native bees and other pollinators; fruit and pads eaten by desert wildlife including rodents and tortoises.
- Toxicity
- Not chemically toxic, but the pads are densely covered in tiny barbed glochids that easily embed in skin and are difficult to remove; though it lacks long spines, it should be handled with caution.
How to grow Beavertail Prickly Pear in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
One of the most drought-tolerant prickly pears; survives entirely on rainfall in Tucson. Water sparingly if at all, and keep dry in winter; overwatering readily causes rot.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Not needed; avoid fertilizer, which promotes soft, rot-prone growth.
Pruning & care
Little to no pruning; remove damaged or shriveled pads at the joint. Handle with care for glochids despite the lack of long spines.
Notes
Distinctive blue-gray to grayish-purple, spineless (but glochid-bearing) flattened pads resembling a beaver's tail. Compact size makes it well suited to small Tucson gardens and containers. Pads may flush purplish in cold and drought.
Sources: AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tohono Chul