Bloomipedia
Pancake pricklypear (Opuntia chlorotica)
Photo: Diana via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Pancake pricklypear

Opuntia chlorotica

Native to Arizona

Pancake pricklypear is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

5states
1,163AZ sightings*
4,083U.S. sightings*

*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 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (62 records)

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?

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 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.

More Arizona flowers

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

★ AZ state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June
California barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus)

California barrel cactus

Ferocactus cylindraceus

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: March–September
Fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)

Fishhook barrel cactus

Ferocactus wislizeni

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: July–October

Sources