Flower profile
Prairie pricklypear
Opuntia macrorhiza
Prairie pricklypear (Opuntia macrorhiza) is a shrub in the Cactaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.
Prairie pricklypear is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Opuntia macrorhiza, also known as the prairie pricklypear, western pricklypear, twistpine pricklypear, or plains pricklypear, is a common, widespread species of cactus native to North America.
- 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 20 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 1,643 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #98 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 411 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #86 among the 159 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 334 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #78 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Colorado
- No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S1), MS (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?
NC State Extension notes: “The fruit is edible raw, cooked or dried. The pads can be roasted to serve as a vegtable. Remove spines and glochids from pads and fruit before eating.” NC State Extension
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 prairie pricklypear in 20 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Baca, Boulder, Dolores, Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Kiowa, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Phillips, Pueblo, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, Yuma.
Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Cimarron, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, Osage.
Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Barber, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wilson, Woodson.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 315 counties across 18 states; the most are in Kansas (91), Texas (44), Missouri (31).
Other Opuntia on Bloomipedia (11): Beavertail pricklypear, Plains pricklypear, Brown-spined pricklypear, Low pricklypear, Engelmann's pricklypear, Brittle pricklypear, Pancake 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 Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile OPMA2.
- iNaturalist, Opuntia macrorhiza: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Opuntia macrorhiza (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Opuntia macrorhiza (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
- Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.