Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Giant Prickly Pear
Giant Prickly Pear is known for its huge, round, silvery-blue pads, some over a foot across, joined at sharp angles. Bright yellow flowers line the pad edges in spring, followed by large red to purple fruit. Both the fruit and young pads are eaten. It grows into a broad clump 3 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet across, on little water once rooted.
Best for: bold accents in large desert yards, cactus gardens that need a big blue focal plant, and anyone who wants prickly pear fruit and pads. It needs little water once rooted.
Its round, silvery-blue pads grow over a foot wide, so it makes a bold accent. Give it a spot 6 to 10 feet wide in a large desert bed.
Large red to purple fruit follows the spring flowers and is eaten fresh or made into jam, jelly and juice. Young pads are cooked, roasted or boiled.
Bees work the bright yellow flowers in spring. Birds feed on the fruit. It asks for little water once rooted, so it suits a dry, sunny corner.
It grows wide and its stems can root where they touch the ground, so it crowds small yards. Spines up to 2 inches and glochids make it a poor fit near paths. Wet soil rots the roots.
- Screen or barrier6 ft apart
- Looser row8 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, soak it once or twice a month in summer to keep pads full. Give it little or no water in winter.
It is rated to about 20°F and handles cold best in dry soil. Cover young plants with frost cloth on a hard freeze night.
Pick ripe red to purple fruit in summer with tongs and gloves, twisting it off. Scrape spines and glochids off young pads before cooking.
It spreads wide and stems can root where they touch the ground. Cut off whole pads at the joint to keep it in bounds.
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 giant prickly pear get?
It usually grows 3 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet across. It can grow taller with support. Its stems can root where they touch the ground, which widens the clump.
How big are the pads?
The round pads can grow over a foot across. They are silvery blue to blue-gray and join at sharp angles.
Does it have spines?
Yes. The spines are few but can be 1 to 2 inches long, and the pads and fruit carry glochids, tiny barbed hairs. Handle it with thick gloves and tongs.
Is the fruit edible?
Yes. The large red to purple fruit is eaten fresh or made into jam, jelly and juice. Pick it with tongs and gloves, twist it off, and remove the glochids before peeling.
Can you eat the pads?
Yes. Young pads are eaten roasted or boiled. Scrape off the spines and glochids with a knife, then peel.
How cold can it take?
It is rated to about 20°F. It handles cold best when the soil is kept dry. Frost cloth that reaches the ground helps a young plant on a hard freeze night.
How often should I water it?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once rooted, a soak once or twice a month in summer keeps pads full. Give little or none in winter.
Does it need full sun?
It does best in full sun and also takes part sun. A newly planted cactus can sunburn in its first summer, so light shade cloth helps that first year.
When does it bloom?
Bright yellow flowers open along the upper pad edges in spring. The fruit ripens in summer.
Does it attract wildlife?
Yes. Native bees visit the flowers and birds eat the fruit.
Giant prickly pear vs Indian fig: which one?
Both are large with edible fruit. Giant prickly pear has round, silvery-blue pads and takes more cold. Indian fig grows tree-like to 10 to 15 feet with green pads and few spines.
Giant Prickly Pear for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Giant Prickly Pear is a big prickly pear from Mexico with round, silvery-blue pads. People grow it as a bold accent and for its yellow flowers and edible red fruit. This page covers what to expect in a Valley yard: size, sun, water, cold, fruit and handling.
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 Opuntia robusta get?
Plan for about 3 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet across. It can grow taller with support. The round pads alone can grow over a foot wide.
Why is it called the wheel cactus?
Its pads are nearly round and very large, like wheels or dinner plates. They are silvery blue to blue-gray.
Can you eat giant prickly pear fruit?
Yes. The large red to purple fruit is eaten fresh or made into jam, jelly and juice. Remove the glochids before you peel it.
How often do you water giant prickly pear in Phoenix?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once rooted, soak it once or twice a month in summer. Give little or none in winter.
How cold hardy is Opuntia robusta?
It is rated to about 20°F, and handles cold best in dry soil. Cover young plants with frost cloth on hard freeze nights.
Giant prickly pear vs Indian fig
Both are big prickly pears with edible fruit. Giant prickly pear has round, silvery-blue pads and more cold hardiness. Indian fig is tree-like with green pads and few spines.
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.