Opuntia ×charlestonensis

Family: Cactaceae · Type: shrub · Native

charleston prickly pear is a native shrub found in Mojave Desert regions in chaparral, Joshua-tree woodland, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 45 to 2,220 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces clear yellow flowers with pale to dark red-purple bases that turn orange-red as they age. Growing with decumbent to spreading branches 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it features distinctive bone-white spines that are 4 to 5 centimeters long and often slightly twisted. Its segments are oval to obovate, ranging 10 to 25 centimeters long and colored gray to yellow-green, with 4 to 6 spines per areole covering most of the plant surface. The fruit is juicy and red-purple, approximately 3 to 3.5 centimeters long with green interior and 15 to 32 areoles.

Habitat: Chaparral, Joshua-tree woodland, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 45-2220 m

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.