Flower profile
Pancake pricklypear
Opuntia chlorotica
Pancake pricklypear (Opuntia chlorotica) is a shrub in the Cactaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.
Pancake 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: Arizona
Quick look
Opuntia chlorotica is a species of prickly pear in the family Cactaceae. Its common names include pancake prickly pear, flapjack prickly pear and dollarjoint prickly pear.
- 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 5 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 1,163 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #87 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
There are only a handful of Arizona 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
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), UT (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 pancake pricklypear in 5 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 25 counties across 5 states; the most are in Arizona (12), New Mexico (6), California (4).
Other Opuntia on Bloomipedia (11): Beavertail pricklypear, Plains pricklypear, Brown-spined pricklypear, Low pricklypear, Engelmann's pricklypear, Prairie pricklypear, Brittle pricklypear, Florida 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 Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile OPCH.
- iNaturalist, Opuntia chlorotica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Opuntia chlorotica (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Opuntia chlorotica (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Diana via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.