Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Engelmann's Prickly Pear
Engelmann's Prickly Pear is the big native prickly pear seen across Arizona's deserts, with large sage-green pads and yellow flowers in spring. Deep red to purple fruit follows in late summer, and both the fruit and young pads are eaten. It grows into a wide, shrubby clump, about 4 to 6 feet tall and 6 feet or more across. It takes full sun and reflected heat, is hardy to about 10°F, and lives on very little water once rooted.
Best for: large desert yards, spiny barriers and screens along a property line, wildlife gardens, and anyone who wants to pick prickly pear fruit and pads. It is a tough native that takes full sun, reflected heat and cold.
It grows into a wide clump 6 feet across or more, so it suits big desert landscapes and open areas. Its large sage-green pads give bold texture from a distance.
Planted about 4 to 6 feet apart, it makes a spiny barrier or screen along a property line or back wall. It takes full sun and reflected heat with very little water.
Deep red to purple fruit ripens in late summer, and young pads are picked in spring. Birds eat the fruit and nest among the pads, and bees work the flowers.
It spreads wide, so it crowds small yards and narrow beds. Its long spines and glochids make it a poor fit beside walkways, pools and play areas. Soil that stays wet rots the roots, so plant it where water drains away.
- Tight row or barrier4 ft apart
- Looser planting6 ft apart
Wait about a week after planting before the first water, then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once it is rooted it needs very little water, though a deep soak every 2 to 4 weeks in a dry summer keeps the pads full. Give it none in winter.
Cochineal scale collects on crowded pads with poor air flow. Hose it off with a strong jet, and thin crowded pads so air moves through.
Pick ripe fruit in late summer with tongs and thick gloves, twisting it off. Remove the glochids before you peel it.
Cut whole pads at the joint to keep it off paths. Long-handled loppers keep you back from the spines.
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.
How big does Engelmann's prickly pear get?
It usually grows 4 to 6 feet tall, and some plants reach 10 feet. It spreads wider than it is tall, from 6 feet to as much as 15 feet across. Size varies a lot from plant to plant.
Is Engelmann's prickly pear native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in most Arizona counties, including Maricopa, and across the Southwest into northern Mexico.
Is the fruit edible?
Yes. The oblong fruit is 2 to 3 inches long and ripens deep red to purple in late summer. Pick it with tongs and gloves, twist it off, and remove the glochids before peeling.
Can you eat the pads?
Yes. Young, tender pads picked in spring are eaten as nopales. Wear thick leather gloves, scrape off the spines and glochids with a knife, then peel.
When does it bloom?
It blooms from spring into early summer. Most flowers are yellow, though some are orange, pink or red, and they are about 3 to 4 inches across.
How often should I water it?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once rooted, it lives on very little water and needs none in winter. Soil that stays wet rots the roots.
How cold can it take?
It is hardy to about 10°F. On a hard freeze night, cover a young plant with frost cloth that reaches the ground, and take it off in the morning.
Does it have spines?
Yes. It has white to yellow spines 1 to 2 inches long, plus clusters of glochids, tiny barbed hairs that stick in skin. Keep it back from walkways, the pool edge and play areas.
Do birds and bees use it?
Yes. Bees visit the flowers, and birds eat the fruit and nest among the pads. It is rated rabbit resistant.
What is the white fuzz on the pads?
That is cochineal scale, a small insect under white fluff. It collects on crowded pads with poor air flow. Spray it off with a strong jet from the hose, and thin out crowded pads.
How far apart should I plant it?
For a barrier or screen, plant about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Each plant can spread 6 feet or more. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
How do I start one from a pad?
Cut a pad at the joint and let the cut end dry in the shade for a week or two. Plant it cut end down, right side up, and wait about a week before watering.
Engelmann's Prickly Pear for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Engelmann's Prickly Pear is the native prickly pear that grows wild across most of Arizona, including around Phoenix. People grow it for its yellow spring flowers, its red fruit and its tough, low-water nature. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley yard, from size, sun and water to cold, fruit, handling and spacing.
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.
How big does Engelmann's prickly pear get?
Plan for about 4 to 6 feet tall, sometimes up to 10 feet. It spreads 6 to 15 feet across over time. Give it room in a large desert yard.
Can you eat Engelmann's prickly pear fruit?
Yes. The deep red to purple fruit ripens in late summer. Pick it with tongs and gloves, and remove the glochids before you peel it. Young pads picked in spring are eaten too.
How far apart do you plant Engelmann's prickly pear?
For a barrier or screen, plant about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Each plant can reach 6 feet across or more. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
How often do you water Engelmann's prickly pear in Phoenix?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once it is rooted, it lives on very little water and needs none in winter.
What is the difference between Engelmann's and Indian fig prickly pear?
Engelmann's is an Arizona native, about 4 to 6 feet tall, with long spines, and it is hardy to about 10°F. Indian fig grows tree-like to 10 to 15 feet, with few spines and larger fruit, but it is hardy only to about 15 to 25°F.
Is Engelmann's prickly pear good for wildlife?
Yes. Bees work the yellow spring flowers, and birds eat the red fruit in late summer and nest among the pads. It is a native plant for a wildlife-friendly desert yard.
Can Engelmann's prickly pear take reflected heat?
Yes. It takes full sun and reflected heat off walls and paving, and it needs very little water once rooted. That suits hot, dry spots along a wall or drive.
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.