Coastal Prickly-pear, Sprawling prickly pear
Opuntia littoralis

Family: Cactaceae

What it is like

A cactus. It is a sprawling shrub. It grows 30-60 cm high and spreads 30-120 cm wide. The stem segments are flattened and nearly round. They are dotted with tufts of yellow bristles and brown spines. The flowers are yellow with red centres. The fruit are red. They have several hard seeds.

There are about 250 Opuntia species.

Where it is found

It is a warm temperate to subtropical plant. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Mexico, North America, USA

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, seeds, pads

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Opuntia engelmannii var. littoralis Engel.; Opuntia semispinosa Griffiths; Opuntia littoralis var. austrocalifornica L.D. Benson & Walkington;