Beavertail Pricklypear, Opuntia basilaris

About Beavertail Pricklypear (Opuntia basilaris) 16 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Opuntia basilaris, the Beavertail Cactus, is found in southwest USA, mostly in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, and also in northwest Mexico. The Beavertail Cactus is a smaller prickly pear cactus growing about 60 centimeter tall. A single plant may consist of hundreds of fleshy, flattened pads. These are blue-gray, growing to a length of 14 centimeter and are maximum 10 centimeter wide and 1 to 1.5 centimeter thick. They are usually spineless, but have instead small barbed bristles, called glochids, that easily penetrate the skin and can be very irritating. During summer the pads become shriveled and wrinkled; with winter rain they plump out. The plant is not particularly attractive when not in flower, but the flowers make it worthwhile in any desert garden. The plant is not widely available in coastal nurseries but is more commonly available in specialty cactus or desert nurseries. The magenta flowers bloom from spring to early summer, often in profusion. It requires full sun, heat, and minimal water.

There are three recognized Varieties: Var. brachyclada (Short-joint Beavertail) is a rare plant endemic to the Transverse Range. Var. treleasei (Bakersfiled Cactus) is a very rare plant that has been nearly extirpated from the southern Central Valley by agriculture. It is listed by the state and federal agencies as Endangered.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub, Succulent

Size

1.3 - 2 ft tall
5 ft wide

Form

Spreading

Growth Rate

Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Slight

Flower Color

Pink, Purple, Red

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Insects are very attracted to the flowers when in bloom.
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Dyotopasta yumaellaDyotopasta yumaella

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Pseudoschinia elautalisPseudoschinia elautalis

Laetilia dilatifasciellaLaetilia dilatifasciella

Dicymolomia opuntialisDicymolomia opuntialis

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 16

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Sandy or gravelly, decomposed granite or sandstone. Soil PH: 6.2 - 8.2

Common uses

Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens

Companion Plants

This cactus can be used with a wide variety of other plants as long as drainage is fast and supplemental watering is minimized. Good companions could include Desert Agave (Agave deserti), Elephant Tree (Bursera microphylla), Desert Lavender (Condea emoryi), Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa or actonii), Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Chuparosa (Justicia californica), Palo Verde (Parkinsonia sp.), Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia), Mojave Yucca (Yucca shidigera), and numerous annuals

Maintenance

Pruning is generally not needed, although dead pads can be removed to maintain a neater appearance. Always were gloves when working on or around the plant

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting

Site Type

High and low desert, in sandy valley floors, alluvial fans, and rocky slopes and canyons

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 1.8" - 34.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.17" - 3.11", Coldest Month: 27.0" - 63.7", Hottest Month: 50.7" - 88.4", Humidity: 1.60" - 46.11", Elevation: 5" - 10095"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Beavertail Prickleypear, Nopal Del Castor

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Beavertail Pricklypear

Opuntia basilaris

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Beavertail PricklypearOpuntia basilaris

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Beavertail Pricklypear

Opuntia basilaris