Scientific: Opuntia aciculata (Synonyms: Opuntia lindheimeri var. aciculata, Opuntia engelmannii var. aciculata)
Common: red flower pricklypear cactus, Chenille cactus
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Texas south into arid portions of Chihuahua and Coahuila, Mexico

Pronounciation: O-PUN-tee-a a-sic-u-LA-ta

Hardiness zones:
Sunset 8-24
USDA 8-12

Character: Stiff cuddly and fuzzy, deceptively dangerous, arid

Growth Habit: Succulent perennial, somewhat upright and spreading to 3 feet tall with generally a 4 feet spread when mature, growth rate is moderately slow.

Foliage/Texture: Stems are jointed into circular fleshy greenish pads. Pads are uniquely covered with areoles containing a dense array of brown glochids and no spines, small new pads in spring occassionally grow ephemeral cone-like leaves; coarse texture.

Flowers/Fruits: Flower buds emerge from aeroles at the edges of stem clades, mature flowers are a brilliant apricot vermillion color, 2 to 3 inches across and are borne on upper terminal margins of pads; fruit oblong, 2 to 3 inches long, red to purple, edible.

Seasonal Color: A profusion of flowers in mid spring, fruit in summer.

Temperature: Highly tolerant of desert heat.

Light: Full sun

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: None after established

Pruning: Prune by removing pad segments of any length to control spread.

Propagation: Cutting and dispersal of pads.

Disease and Pests: Root rot and some cochineal scale.

Taxonomic tibdbit: The species name aciculata comes from the latin for "covered with small pins" (that were used for head dresses) - referring to the conspicuous glochids.