Eastern pricklypear complex

Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf.

light
Full sun
water
Little
tall
23 cm
wide
38 cm

Cactaceae

Also called Devil's-tongue, Eastern Prickly Pear, Eastern Prickly-pear, Indian Fig, Low Prickly Pear

Formerly Cactus humifusus, Cactus italicus, Opuntia allairei, Opuntia calcicola, and 5 more

When it flowers

Not known yet in the tropics: too few flowering observations to read a season from.

Read from iNaturalist photographs of it in flower. A month counts at 50% of the best month's flowering share (smoothed over three months) and 10% of its flowering count, from at least 100 flowering observations in the band.

PetsNC State Extension lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (25 Oct 2026)
PeopleNo safety information yet

If a child, a pet or anyone may have eaten a plant, contact a doctor or vet straight away, or call the National Poisons Information Centre (AIIMS, New Delhi) on 1800 116 117, free and open 24 hours.

Something wrong with it?

About it

Grows as
Succulent subshrubKew's checklist, not yet checked
Climate
TemperateKew's checklist, not yet checked
Wild in
E. U.S.A., Mexico (Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí)Kew's checklist, not yet checked
Light
Full sun (6 h or more)Read from NC State Extension, one source
Height
15 cm to 30 cmRead from NC State Extension, one source
Spread
30 cm to 46 cmRead from NC State Extension, one source
Water
Little: takes droughtRead from NC State Extension, one source
Flowers
YellowRead from NC State Extension, one source
Coldest it survives
-34.4 °C (USDA zone 4a)Read from NC State Extension, one source

Not known yet: heat, hottest it survives.

In other languages (3)

Spanish
Nopal del Este
Swedish
Krypopuntia
Chinese
匍地仙人掌, 匐地仙人掌, 圆武扇

Where this comes from

A fact “checked by a majority of its sources” was settled by a vote of the pages it was read from, not by a person reading it; one marked “one source” rests on that page alone. Anything else not marked checked has not been checked yet. Where nothing is known, the page says so rather than guess.