| Common Name |
Blind Prickly Pear, Cow
Blinder, Desert Gem |
| Latin Name |
Opuntia
rufida |
| Native Habitat |
Texas, New Mexico, eastern
Arizona, northern Mexico |
| Soil |
Dry decomposed granite, sand, limestone, low organic
content, well drained |
| Water |
Once or twice per month in summer |
| Height X Width |
5 feet X 5 feet |
| Protective Mechanism |
Hairy looking barbed
glochids |
| Leaves |
Green evergreen with spines |
| Garden Suitability |
Sonoran, Songbird,
Ethnobotanical |
| Ornamental Value |
Orange flowers in spring to
early summer, fruits have several colors |
| Nature Value |
Fruits eaten by birds and some mammals |
| Native American Uses |
Fruits and pads eatern |
| Links |
|
| Images and
data |
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/70013/ |
| Images and data |
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Opuntia_rufida.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OPRU3 |
| Images and data |
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=719 |
| Images and data |
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/Syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=719 |
| Images and data |
http://www.desertusa.com/magoct97/oct_pa/du_prkpear.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415211 |
| Images and data |
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/opuntiarufid.htm |
|
Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.cactus-canyon.com/list.html |
| Distribution map |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OPRU3 |
