A blooming Opuntia basilaris, the beavertail cactus or beavertail pricklypear, covered with gorgeous pink flowers near a boulder stacks at Joshua Tree National Park. Native to the deserts of northwest Mexico and southwestern regions of the United States, this species has a restricted range and grows in protected areas such as Joshua Tree, reaching only up to 16” inches in height. The vibrant flowers are pink, rose or magenta-purple in colors. Known as glochids, they have multiple tiny reddish-br

The eastern prickly pear, or low prickly pear, (Opuntia humifusa) is a cactus native to portions of the northeastern US and even into southwestern Ontario, Canada. In my home state of Pennsylvania, it's found on dry, rocky outcroppings like shale barrens, and sandy, hot soils. It does quite well in cultivation as well, as long as you have a hot, sunny, and well-drained spot for it. I planted several at the bottom of a west-facing slope that gets about 10 hours of full sun during the summer, and