Beavertail Prickly Pear
Opuntia basilaris
A low-growing native prickly pear with distinctive blue-gray pads and cheerful yellow spring blooms that feed desert birds.
Very cold hardy to near 0°F, USDA 9-11; adapted to both low and high desert.
AMWUA Notes
Native, drought-adapted prickly pear requiring no irrigation once established.
Care Guide
Needs almost no supplemental water once established; water sparingly and only in extended drought to avoid rot.
Remove damaged pads at the joint with tongs; wear gloves, as the pads carry irritating glochids despite lacking long spines.
None required.
Cochineal scale is the primary concern; wash off cottony colonies promptly.
Blue-gray pads flush purple in winter cold and yellow flowers open in spring; fully frost hardy.
Soil, Feeding & Propagation
Sharp-draining decomposed granite or native desert soil; lean
Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.
None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.
Pads root readily after callusing; also seed
6-8 ft
Shallow, non-invasive roots; the glochids irritate skin, so keep pads back from paths
Placement Tips
- •Site in a rock or wildlife garden away from paths, since the glochids irritate skin.
- •Allow for the 8 ft spread.
- •Plant in sharp-draining granite.
- •Pairs beautifully against boulders.
Features
Best Uses
Ecological Value
Wildlife Value
Companion Plants
Quick Stats
Design Styles
Include in Your Project
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Use this care guide to maintain your Beavertail Prickly Pear. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.
Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.