Sign in Start free
Species library › Opuntia › Opuntia atrispina
Succulents Well documented

Opuntia atrispina

A small, spreading prickly pear with dark-based spines from the limestone hills and brush country along the Rio Grande in Texas and northeastern Mexico. It wants full sun, a gritty mix and a dry winter.

Opuntia atrispina
Photo: Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961)Daniel Schweich for the filtred image., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in open thornscrub and on rocky limestone slopes and caliche flats in semi-arid brushland. Built from the measured sites and general knowledge of Texas Opuntia.

Most records sit around 400–600 m along the Rio Grande; Mexican sites reach about 1,400 m.

Mexico NortheastTexas

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Opuntia atrispina? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Opuntia

Opuntia ficus-indica Opuntia engelmannii Opuntia galapageia Opuntia polyacantha Opuntia basilaris Opuntia humifusa Opuntia stricta Opuntia fragilis Opuntia macrocentra Opuntia macrorhiza Opuntia sulphurea Opuntia aciculata All 171 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.