Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Chenille Prickly Pear
Chenille Prickly Pear has round green pads dotted with dense tufts of brown glochids, which give it a soft, fuzzy look from a distance. In spring it covers its upper pads with bright apricot-orange flowers. Red to purple fruit follows in summer and fall. It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and a bit wider, and lives on very little water once rooted.
Best for: cactus and rock gardens, dry filler and accent spots in small to medium desert yards, and spring color from a low-water plant.
Its round pads with dense brown tufts add a fuzzy texture among rocks and other cacti. It stays about 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide.
In mid-spring it covers its upper pad edges with bright apricot to orange flowers, 2 to 3 inches wide. Bees work the flowers, and red to purple fruit follows.
It works as a filler, accent or low cover in small to medium desert areas. Once rooted it needs very little water, about once or twice a month in summer.
The soft look fools people. The brown tufts are glochids that stick in skin at a touch, so keep it back from paths and play areas. Soil that stays wet rots the roots.
- Plant to plant4-6 ft apart
Wait about a week after planting before the first water, then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once rooted, water once or twice a month in summer. It needs little or none in winter.
Keep its spread in check by removing whole pads at the joint. Use tongs, since the brown glochids come off at a touch.
It needs little or no fertilizer. If you feed it, use a light, diluted feeding in spring or early summer, never in fall or winter.
Plant it with the side that faced the sun still facing south. A new plant can sunburn its first summer, so light shade cloth helps until fall.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Why is it called chenille prickly pear?
Its pads are covered in dense tufts of brown glochids, tiny barbed hairs, that make it look soft and fuzzy from a distance.
Is it soft to touch?
No. It has few or no long spines, but the brown tufts are glochids that come loose and stick in skin. Handle it with thick leather gloves and tongs.
How big does it get?
It usually grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and a bit wider, about 4 to 6 feet across.
What color are the flowers?
They are bright apricot to orange on the plants usually grown, 2 to 3 inches across. Wild plants can also bloom red or yellow. Flowers open in mid-spring along the upper pad edges.
Is the fruit edible?
Yes. The red to purple fruit ripens in summer and fall and is eaten raw or juiced. The fruit carries glochids too, so pick it with tongs and remove them before peeling.
How cold can it take?
It is rated to about 0 to 10°F and is hardy in Phoenix. Keep the soil dry through cold weather.
How often should I water it?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once rooted, water once or twice a month in summer, and little or not at all in winter.
Can it take full sun and Valley heat?
Yes. It grows in full sun and is very tolerant of desert heat. A newly planted cactus can still sunburn its first summer, so light shade cloth helps that first year.
Does it attract bees?
Yes. Native bees visit the flowers in spring. Cactus bees feed almost only on prickly pear and cholla flowers.
How do I keep it from spreading?
Cut off whole pads at the joint where they meet. Long-handled loppers or tongs keep your hands back from the glochids.
Can I start new plants from pads?
Yes. Let a cut pad dry in the shade for a week or two, plant it cut end down, and wait about a week before watering.
Chenille Prickly Pear for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Chenille Prickly Pear is a mid-size prickly pear named for the fuzzy look of its brown glochid tufts. People grow it for that texture and for its bright orange spring flowers. This page covers size, flowers, fruit, water, cold and handling in a Valley yard.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is chenille prickly pear?
It is a mid-size prickly pear from south Texas and northern Mexico. Its round green pads carry dense brown glochid tufts that look soft from a distance.
How big does Opuntia aciculata get?
Plan for about 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet across. It spreads a little wider than it is tall.
Chenille prickly pear flowers
Bright apricot to orange flowers, 2 to 3 inches wide, cover the upper pad edges in mid-spring. Red to purple fruit follows in summer and fall.
How often do you water chenille prickly pear in Phoenix?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once rooted, water once or twice a month in summer and little or none in winter.
Is chenille prickly pear cold hardy?
It is rated to about 0 to 10°F, and it grows well in Phoenix. Keep the soil dry through cold weather.
Chenille vs Engelmann's prickly pear
Chenille stays about 3 to 4 feet tall, with dense brown glochids, few spines and orange flowers. Engelmann's is an Arizona native with long white to yellow spines and yellow flowers.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.