Opuntia rufida

A spineless prickly pear from the Chihuahuan Desert, with velvety, grey-green pads covered in reddish-brown glochid tufts and yellow flowers. It needs full sun, heat and a dry winter, and is less frost-hardy than many Opuntia.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets 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

Rocky slopes, canyon sides and desert scrub in the Chihuahuan Desert, often on limestone or volcanic rock, in full sun.

Measured records run from about 520 to 2,660 m, median about 1,300 m.

TexasChihuahuaCoahuilaNuevo LeónDurango

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

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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 2.0 licence, unmodified.