Opuntia phaeacantha

The tulip or brown-spined prickly pear, a sprawling, very hardy cactus of the deserts, grasslands and woodlands of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It needs full sun, a dry gritty soil and a cold dry winter, and can live outdoors year round in many temperate gardens if kept dry.

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

Open desert, desert grassland, chaparral and pinyon-juniper woodland on rocky slopes and sandy flats, forming localised thickets in full sun.

Recorded from near sea level to about 2,500 m, median about 1,500 m; upland plants see hard winter frost.

ArizonaCaliforniaColoradoKansasNevadaNew MexicoOklahomaTexasUtahMexico NorthwestMexico Northeast

🔒 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

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 3.0 licence, unmodified.