Flower profile
Black-spined pricklypear
Opuntia macrocentra
Black-spined pricklypear is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: New Mexico
Quick look
Opuntia macrocentra, the long-spined purplish prickly pear or purple pricklypear, is a cactus found in the lower Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. A member of the prickly pear genus, this species of Opuntia is most notable as one of a few cacti that produce a purple pigmentation in the stem.
- It belongs to the Cactaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to New Mexico. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 851 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #67 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
Black-spined pricklypear gift ideas
Handmade black-spined pricklypear gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
-
Placeholder
Black-spined pricklypear art print
-
Placeholder
Black-spined pricklypear greeting card
-
Placeholder
Black-spined pricklypear mug
-
Placeholder
Black-spined pricklypear earrings
-
Placeholder
Black-spined pricklypear embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Black-spined pricklypear sticker
When does it bloom?
There are only a handful of New Mexico flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G3 Vulnerable worldwide. NatureServe
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Tree Cactus” (Opuntia species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records black-spined pricklypear in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra.
More New Mexico flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile OPMA8.
- iNaturalist, Opuntia macrocentra: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Opuntia macrocentra (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Opuntia macrocentra (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: CK2AZ via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.