Bloomipedia
Florida pricklypear (Opuntia austrina)
Photo: Jay Horn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Florida pricklypear

Opuntia austrina

Florida pricklypear (Opuntia austrina) is a shrub in the Cactaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native to Florida

Florida pricklypear is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

4states where USDA records it
3,822FL sightings*
3,827U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Florida

Quick look

Opuntia austrina, also known as the Florida prickly pear, is a prickly pear cactus species that is endemic to Florida in the United States.

  • It belongs to the Cactaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. NatureServe
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,822 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #70 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Florida, most flowering sightings come in March–May.

Flowering records by month in Florida (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (151 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
TNR See NatureServe for what TNR means. NatureServe
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

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 Florida pricklypear in 4 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Texas.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Opuntia eburnispina, Opuntia pollardii, Opuntia polycarpa.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 3 counties across 2 states; the most are in Mississippi (2), Alabama (1).

Other Opuntia on Bloomipedia (11): Beavertail pricklypear, Plains pricklypear, Brown-spined pricklypear, Low pricklypear, Engelmann's pricklypear, Prairie pricklypear, Brittle pricklypear, Pancake pricklypear, Grassland pricklypear, Golden pricklypear.

More from the Cactaceae family (37 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Saguaro, California barrel cactus, Fishhook barrel cactus, Christmas cholla, Silver cholla, Tree cholla, Buckhorn cholla, Teddybear cholla.

More Florida flowers

White beggarticks (Bidens alba)

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: May–July
Largeflower Mexican clover (Richardia grandiflora)

Largeflower Mexican clover

Richardia grandiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: November–December

Sources