Beavertail Pricklypear, Opuntia basilaris

About Beavertail Pricklypear (Opuntia basilaris) 22 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Named for its broad, flat leaf pads, Beavertail Pricklypear (Opuntia basilaris) is a medium sized cactus that's known for its vibrant magenta flowers. While the pads do not have the long spines of other cactus species, they do have small barbs that can be painful when touched. Beavertail Pricklypear blooms profusely in spring and early summer. The bright flowers attract pollinators and provide visual interest in a xeric landscape.

This succulent is native to the Southwestern desert regions of the US. It also grows in Mexico where it is called Nopal. Indigenous peoples consumed the fruit, leaf pad buds, and seeds. Beavertail Pricklypear requires minimal supplemental irrigation. Plant in full sun in sandy, well-draining soil. This cactus grows in clusters that can spread up to 6 ft wide. The pads can shrivel in the summer but will plump up during the winter rainy season. Dead pads can be removed, otherwise little maintenance is needed.

Miller, G.O. (2008). Landscaping with Native Plants of Southern California. Voyageur Press.

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

, 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Dyotopasta yumaellaDyotopasta yumaella

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 22

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