Opuntia depressa

A low, spreading prickly pear of the dry tropical scrub of south-central Mexico, mostly recorded around the Tehuacán–Cuicatlán valley of Puebla and Oaxaca. It wants full sun, a warm wet summer and a dry, mild winter, and is easy if kept bright and dry in the cool months.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets 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, seasonally dry thorn scrub and succulent scrub on rocky or gravelly slopes and flats, among other cacti and low shrubs. This is inferred from the recorded localities and the genus; species-specific habitat notes are thin.

Recorded from 41 to 2,638 m, with a median near 1,575 m; most records sit in the 1,200–1,900 m valleys of Puebla and Oaxaca.

Mexico CentralMexico GulfMexico Southwest

🔒 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

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More Opuntia

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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.