| Common Name |
Beavertail cactus |
| Latin Name |
Opuntia basilaris |
| Family |
Cactaceae |
| Sunset zones / USDA zones |
8-9, 10-24 / 7-10 |
| Type / Form |
Cactus / Small |
| Native Habitat |
Among creosote scrub brush below 3,000 feet in Sonoran
and Colorado Deserts and below 6,000 feet in Joshua tree woodland in
Mojave Desert |
| Soil |
Dry, decomposed granite, sand, loam, low in organic
content, well drained |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| Water |
None to once per month |
| Height X Width |
Maximum 4 X 4 feet, usual 1 foot X 2 feet |
| Protective Mechanism |
Short spines in dark red bumps |
| Leaves |
Evergreen |
| Flowers |
Magenta to red flowers mid-spring and early summer, purple green fruit |
| Bark / Roots |
NA |
| Maintenance |
None |
| Propagation |
Seeds and cuttings |
| Pests and Diseases |
None |
| Landscape uses |
Container, rock garden, low maintenance, specimen |
| Garden Suitability |
Songbird, Sonoran, Ethnobotanical |
| Nature Value |
Flowers used by bees, fruits eaten by birds and mammals |
| Native American Uses |
Fruits and pads eaten |
| Links |
|
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia_basilaris |
| Images and
data |
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Opuntia_basilaris.html |
| Images and
data |
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59284/index.html |
| Images and
data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=5927 |
| Images and
data |
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/rareplants/profiles/tep/opuntia_basilaris_treleasei/index.shtml |
| Images and
data |
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=opba2 |
| Images and
data |
http://www.desertmuseumdigitallibrary.org/public/detail.php?id=ASDM07203&sp=Opuntia%20basilaris |
| Images and
data |
http://www.delange.org/CactusBeaverTail/CactusBeaverTail.htm |
| Images and
data |
http://www.nazflora.org/Opuntia_basilaris.htm |
| Images |
http://www.mojavenp.org/opuntia_basilaris_mojave_national_preserve.htm |
| Article |
http://www.desertusa.com/april96/du_beavtail.html |
| Distribution map |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OPBA2 |
| Distribution map |
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415215 |
| Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/1005.htm |
| Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.cnplx.info/nplx/species?taxon=Opuntia+basilaris |
| Nursery |
Oak Hills Nursery, 13874 Ranchero Road, Oak Hills, 92345,
760-947-6261 |
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