Opuntia vaseyi

Family: Cactaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Vase's prickly pear is a California native shrub found in southern California coastal regions and adjacent zones in chaparral and disturbed areas at elevations of 275 to 500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow, orange, or dull red flowers with orange-yellow filaments and a pink style. Growing as a sprawling shrub less than 1 meter tall with gray-green branches, it features distinctive segments that spread widely and are generally obovate in shape. Its stems have 0 to 4 spines per areole, with the longest spines typically 3 to 4.8 centimeters long, spreading or reflexed, and colored yellow with a white coating and brown or yellow base. The plant produces juicy, red-purple fruits with 20 to 36 areoles, creating an eye-catching display in its native habitat.

Habitat: Chaparral, disturbed areas

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 275-500 m

Bioregions: SCo, edges of adjacent zones.

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