Beavertail prickly pear is a colorful, low-growing cactus with blue-green pads and brilliant magenta flowers. It offers several benefits over other prickly pear cactus species. Here’s how to plant and carie for this southwest desert native.
Beavertail prickly pear (Opuntia basilaris) is an attractive cactus with blue-green pads that grow wide rather than tall and are somewhat shaped like a beaver tail. Each pad is covered with a uniform pattern of small dots. (But don’t touch!)
When plants bloom in the spring, their vivid magenta flowers really stand out, especially against a sea of yellow native desert flowers. Flowers are followed by edible purple fruits.
Beavertail prickly pear is an extremely low-maintenance landscape plant. Unlike many prickly pear species, it stays compact and requires almost no pruning. Once established, it can exist on rainfall alone. In its native habitats (Sonoran and Mojave Deserts), it survives on as little as 3″ of rain per year.
Another benefit of choosing this cactus is that cochineal scale, a common pest on most prickly pear species, rarely occurs on beavertail cactus.
Its flowers attract pollinators, especially bees and moths. Its pads and fruit attract wildlife of all kinds.
Why I Like This Plant
- Attractive blue-green, uniformly dotted pads
- Brilliant magenta flowers
- Stays compact, no pruning
- Resistant to cochineal
- Attracts bees, birds, and moths
Things to Watch Out For
At first glance, beavertail cactus pads may appear thornless, but those “polka dots” are clusters of tiny barbed spines called glochids. Each glochid is so fine it’s nearly invisible, but get one in your hand and you’ll find it extremely irritating and difficult to remove.
The pads are considered deer and rabbit “resistant.” But amazingly, many animals don’t mind the glochids and readily consume the pads and fruit including javelinas, coyotes, pack rats, desert tortoises, and jackrabbits.
Javelina, rabbits, and other small mammals use plants for shelter, including some you may not want, like pack rats.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a prickly pear plant to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Beavertail prickly pear should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. As a southwest desert native, it can handle extreme heat and is cold-hardy down to 10℉.
Sun Exposure
Beavertail cactus thrives in full sun, but tolerates both reflected heat and part shade. Note that the more sun it receives, the more flowers it will produce.
Size and Growth Rate
Beavertail prickly pear grows moderately fast. New pads grow mostly from base of older ones, resulting in sprawling form. Plants are seldom more than 2 pads tall ultimately reach a size of 2 feet tall by 6 feet wide if left unpruned.
Soil
Beavertail cactus prefers poor, alkaline, well-draining soil that’s sandy or rocky. It even grows in caliche. Ideally, plant it on a berm or mound which helps with drainage and is preferred to flat ground.
Other Location Considerations
Since beavertail cactus has innumerable glochids and grows low to the ground, don’t plant this where curious children or pets can touch it.
Beavertail Cactus:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Beavertail cactus, beavertail prickly pear |
| Scientific Name | Opuntia basilaris |
| Origin | Sonoran, Mojave Deserts |
| Plant Type | Segmented cactus |
| USDA Zones | Zones 7 – 10 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 10℉ |
| Flower Color | Pink |
| Flower Season | Spring |
| Mature Size | 2′ high x 5’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot, Cochineal resistant |
| Cautions | Glochids |
| Wildlife | Attracts bees, birds, moths Deer, rabbit resistant |
How to Plant
Dig a hole as deep as and twice as wide as the nursery container. Carefully remove the plant from the container, put it in the hole, and press the soil to remove any air pockets.
It’s generally recommended that you backfill with native soil and not add any amendments. However, good drainage is critical. So if you know your soil is slow draining, amend with coarse sand or small gravel until you have a loose, well-drained mix.
Plant your cactus facing in the same direction that it was in the nursery. Better nurseries will mark the pot so you know which direction your cactus has been facing. Surprisingly, cactus can get sunburned, and planting them in the same direction that they’ve been facing can minimize this.
When to Plant
The best time to plant cactus is in the spring or early summer when warm soil temperatures encourage root development.
How to Care for Beavertail Cactus
Whether you’ve recently planted a beavertail cactus or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water
You’re probably used to giving plants a good soaking immediately after transplanting, but that isn’t the best practice with cactus. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum advises not to water succulents for one to two weeks after planting.
When your cactus is young, water it once per month during the hot spring and summer, unless you’ve had rains of ½ “ or more. It should not need any irrigation during the winter. Too much water can cause this cactus to rot.
Once established, it should not need supplemental water unless there is severe drought.
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize beavertail prickly pear. This desert native has evolved to grow in poor native soil.
Pruning & Propagation
This plant rarely needs pruning except to remove dead or damaged pads. While you can prune beavertail prickly pear to keep its size in check, you don’t have to. If you decide to prune, always cut at pad joints.
If you have extra pads, you can use them to easily propagate new plants. Let the pads dry and callous for a week or two and then stick the cut end in the ground or a pot. It’s recommended that you not water them for the next month to avoid root rot.
Pro Tip!
A good rule of thumb for propagating succulents is “no roots, no water”.
Until roots have formed, watering can cause rot.
Plant Lover Facts
Beavertail prickly pear (Opuntia basilaris) is one of 200+ species of cactus in the Opuntia (prickly pear) genus.
It is native to Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and northwest Mexico.
Native Americans used beavertail as a food staple and consumed all above-ground parts — buds, fruit, seeds, and pads.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
Photo Credits
Jessie Eastland, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons