Opuntia chlorotica

Pancake prickly-pear, Pancake Prickly-Pear

Family: Cactaceae · Type: tree · Native

Pancake prickly-pear is a California native tree found in eastern Peninsular Ranges and desert mountain regions in pinyon/juniper woodland, desert scrub edge, and chaparral at elevations of 600 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from May to June, this distinctive cactus produces yellow flowers with white filaments and yellow-green stigmas. Growing as a tree-like plant with ascending branches 1.5 to 2 meters tall, it features segments that are generally round and 13 to 20 centimeters long. Its areoles bear 3 to 8 translucent yellow spines up to 5 centimeters long, which are generally straight and slightly reflexed. The fruit is approximately 4 centimeters long with a purple-red exterior, white middle layer, and pink seed-pulp, creating a striking visual contrast.

Habitat: Pinyon/juniper woodland, desert scrub edge, chaparral

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 600-1300 m

Bioregions: e PR, DMoj (desert mountains and lower montane slopes, canyons)

California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego

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